Family Ties
by P.A.R
Summary: The final installment to the FAMILY story arc.  Orin and Eric deal out Richard's punishment.
1. The Return

A/N: What can I say? I was bored.

Actually, this is very short and sweet. But it is, after all, just a preview of the up-coming Family Ties story. Mostly, however, it is to let you know what I am up to and why you may not hear from me with any degree of regularity.

First off, I would ask you keep my sister-in-law's mother in your prayers, who was just diagnosed with a very bad case of cancer.

I also am being kept running like a hamster on a treadmill at work and that is taking up a considerable amount of my time.

And lastly, I am also being hounded by several interested parties to lose weight. Current target: 40 pounds in two months.

We'll see.

Past all of that,

As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

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CHAPTER ONE: THE RETURN

Dr. Martinson sat behind his large oak desk as he studied the man seated before him, carefully phrasing his report as he delivered it.

He had been on staff at St. Andrews for well over thirty years, and presently the case before him was a first for him.

Not that he relished the challenge due to other variables involved. One of which was currently staring him down from the other side of his desk.

He hated working with Unspeakables. It was practically impossible to lie to them. They never took anything at face value and could read a lie with frightening accuracy. Even when the lie was given for their own good, an Unspeakable would hound you down until he was satisfied he had the truth. And the man currently seated before him was rumored to be the best there was.

"Your brother," Dr. Martinson began, "is suffering from the effects of a memory charm that run very deep, and which clearly indicate that the instigator was an extremely powerful wizard."

"I already know who is responsible for it." A cold, steeled voice answered. "What I want to know is what the lasting effects on my brother are."

Dr. Martinson surreptitiously paged through the chart before him. "What you must understand," Dr. Martinson tried cautiously to explain, "is that the overall effects to your brother's memory are very deep. The effects to his short-term memory are extensive. He has no recollection of dates or recent events. Nothing even remotely related to anything in the time span that this type of memory would cover. His long term memory, however, has proved even more difficult to diagnose."

"How so?"

"As I said," Dr. Martinson replied, "the effects are very deep. More so, I think, than you realize."

Orion gave a long, irritated sigh. He hated working with doctors. It was practically impossible to get a straight answer out of them. And the one in front of him right now seemed an absolute master at handing you page after page of useless information. All of it tied up in one favorite phrase that Orion swore if he heard one more time he was going to have to find his brother a new doctor, since this one was going to be well beyond the realm of practicing any medicine for a long time coming.

Why couldn't doctors just tell you what you wanted to know and be done with it?

Of course, Orion knew the surface effects already. He had known them the moment his brother had looked up at him without a shadow of recognition in his eyes.

All through their years growing up and right into their years at Hogwart's, Orion had felt responsible for looking after his little brother. Always in the background, but ever vigilant, Orion had taken the job of protecting his only sibling very seriously. But for once in all those years, Orion suddenly had found himself faced with an enemy he couldn't protect Sirius from. One he couldn't fight or frighten off with a well placed threat.

One that had already done it's damage.

And this blasted doctor seemed to be on the side of the enemy.

Dr. Martinson didn't miss the growing agitation of the man before him and decided it was best to get to the point and get the man on his way as fast as possible. He had plenty of patients. People he could possibly do something for.

The Black case was not one of them.

Dr. Martinson closed the chart he had been holding in front of himself like a shield and laid it on his desk, folding his arms over it as he fixed his stare on the man before him. "In the long term, Mr. Black, it would be easier and certainly faster for me to tell you what your brother remembers better than what he doesn't. He seems to have retained basic things, such as motor and language skills. However, things seem to go downhill from there on. Your brother doesn't know his name, he has no recollection of family, friends, or events in his past, and he appears to have no working knowledge of magic."

Orion's expression etched itself into a deep frown. "You mean Sirius doesn't remember how to do spells?"

"No." Dr. Martinson replied, steeling himself up for the reaction to his diagnosis, "I mean, your brother doesn't remember he's a wizard."

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Q&A

ilovesiriusblack:

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No! Poor Sirius! Voldemort is such a but head! This chapter was really well written like the rest of this story and even though its now ended I still want to read more so please dont abandon this story arc!  
Looking forward to reading family Ties in January.

Well, as you can see, not only have I not abandoned the story arc, Dear, I'm posting early. But the trade-off is that I won't be posting regularly. Everything seems to come with a price. What can I say?

Skahducky:

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Wow, you certainly left us hanging, finishing the story with Sirius having lost all his memory. I hope he gets it back soon.  
Anyway, enjoy your break, and I'm looking forward to Family Ties in January!

Please see above, Dear. As stated, I am posting this early, but it could possibly well be January before you see another chapter. Not likely, but possible.

CelticHeiressFiona:

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Awesome chapter. Voldemort me off the most in this chapter than in any other yet. Ugly little snake-faced wizards and their stupid hidden agendas. Not that his are a complete secret. Perks of Sirius Black's body: Close to Dumbledore, Close to Potter, Close to Orion Black. But anyway, great chapter!

Well, one does what one excells at, Dear. Voldemort just seems to have a special talent for p(asteriskasteriskasteriskasteriskasterisk)g people off.

Well, I wouldn't say Voldemort's agenda is completely out in the open. Plus, he's completed one agenda, so now he's off to the next. Who's to say what the dark one is up to now?

IceAngel:

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Oh wow... wonder what he will want in return for that gift.  
Looking forward to seeing more of Becca :)  
Cheers!

Now you see! A well thought out question that not many people ask. What is Voldemort going to want in return for his 'gift' to Sirius? And exactly how many people will see it as a gift?

Well, that's a good thing, Dear, because she figures prominently in Family Ties, although not immediately. But she will be showing up.

MasterLupin:

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Poor Sirius, he just can't get a break can he, first demonic possession and now amnesia.  
Well I will stay around for your next story Family Ties, and Bo's Day out. I take it this is the last chapter or next to last for this one then?  
As for book V, JK explained why she killed Sirius and it wasn't for shock value, it actually makes sense why she killed him. Follow this link if you can: http://w.msnbc.

Hey, Lup! Hope studies are going well.

Well, I don't know about the demonic possession angle. Certainly not a friendly take-over, but I'm not sure it was all that bad! And after all, Voldemort was a good houseguest, no? He left a present when he checked out.

Chapter 62 was the last chapter of Family Relations (or Chapter 79 by FFN's count).

Even though I am working on Family Ties and currently erratically posting chapters, this does not mean Bo's Day Out isn't also in the works. And since it is a one-shot, you have a chance of seeing it possibly before the next chapter of this story. (Well, not a really good chance, but a chance.).

OK, Dear. Followed link, then followed that link to several other links, and basically spent the afternoon reading.

Here is what I came up with.

Shock value.

Now, the best I could come up with (past that) was that she felt 1) that Harry needed to suffer, 2) that she did not want him to have a parental figure to lean on and therefore anyone who got even remotely close to the kid had a huge bulls-eye painted on their back, and 3) killing people is good for sales.

Sorry, but that was the best I could get out of a whole afternoon spent reading over web-links.

All reviews are as of 09/16/2007.

And remember:

You say Lawyer like it's a bad thing.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

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CHAPTER TWO - MAKING ARRANGEMENTS

"But WHY!?" Came the mournful wail of Orion's third oldest child.

"Because that's the way things are, Vincent. Now, I've explained this to all of you a number of times that Sirius isn't up to a houseful of children. You're going to have to give him some time to readjust to things."

The 13 year old fell in a sulking silence, following his surrogate father around the house as he went in search of the others.

"But we haven't seen him in AGES!" Came the wail again after a few minutes past.

"Then a few more weeks won't matter, will it?" Orion reasoned out for him.

The teenager fell into his unhappy silence again, but dutifully trudged after Orion still, thinking up his next 13 year-wise argument.

Orion wasn't sure exactly why, but from the day Vincent and Sirius had met there was an instant connection. The boy saw Sirius as a walking storehouse of spells he just couldn't wait to start manipulating, and for Sirius, Vincent was an unending source of adoration and awe.

Orion had wondered with a great deal of trepidation exactly how the kids would react to meeting their infamous uncle for the first time. It wasn't as though the five hadn't heard the name 'Sirius Black' or the stories connected to that name. Those of a cold-hearted murderer who had ruthlessly killed 13 people, and likely countless more, all in the service of his supposed master.

But when the five met Sirius for the first time, to Orion's surprise, there was very little fear or even a trace of weariness. He had, of course, explained things to them. Told them the stories weren't true and that Sirius was, in fact, innocent of the charges brought against him.

The five had listened and the older ones had heaped a ton of questions at him. But none the likes of which he expected. Instead of the expected 'Well, how do you KNOW he's innocent', the children seemed to have accepted that as a simple matter of fact, and instead went straight to the 'Why won't anyone else believe he's innocent' questions and asking why the Ministry was so willing to accept his guilt without a proper trial.

Thomas, in fact, had reasoned out the evidence to be circumstantial so fast and brought up enough reasonable doubt against it, Orion was already calculating the tuition of a good law school for the boy.

When Sirius had finally come to meet his new nieces and nephews, the gathering hadn't been nearly as stilted as the adults had feared it would be. Orion had placed no restrictions on the children about asking Sirius about his life with one exception. They were to ask no direct questions about Sirius' time in Azkaban. Talking about it was just reliving it, he had explained to them. And Sirius had no wish to relive those days again. Once was more than enough for any person.

The children dutifully adhered to the rule and had instead, after asking a few cautious questions about what the Ministry had said he had done and why couldn't he convince them he was innocent, moved quickly on to other questions.

Orion positively cringed at them.

What was it like having to hide from the Ministry? What would he do if someone recognized him? Did he ever get to go out in public? How did he survive? Who believed he was innocent? Who was Remus Lupin? Who were the Marauders? What was Hogwarts like? What were the teachers there like? Was Harry Potter really his godson? Did he really have a flying motorcycle? Would he take them for a ride? Did he like Quidditch?

And just like that the matter of Sirius' status as a fugitive gave way to far more interesting questions to the minds of the children. To them, it was simple acceptance. Orion and Katlin had said he was innocent. That was all they had needed to know. And, of course, Orion didn't doubt one bit his younger brother's natural charm played a large part in allying any of the children's worries.

But now he had to deal with the other side of the coin, as it were. Sirius was coming to visit and they were being sent away.

None of the five had taken that news very well. To them, their Uncle Sirius was life-sized entertainment, and missing a visit was nothing short of a catastrophe.

"It's not fair!" Vincent finally wailed after him, a few minutes after his last outburst.

Orion stopped and turned around, leaning down to the 13 year old's eye level. "Life isn't." He stated flatly. "Get used to it. Now, are you properly packed?"

Vincent folded his arms in front of him. "Yes." He replied sullenly.

"All right then. Why don't you go find Mum and see if she needs any help with the others?"

With an unhappy sigh, Vincent trotted off to find Katlin.

With a sigh of his own, Orion shook his head as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, careful not to disturb the eye patch he now wore.

How was it Sirius managed to always throw surprises at him. Here he had thought he would forever live with his children scared to death of the infamous Sirius Black. Instead he was trying to sooth hurt feelings when they weren't allowed to stay when Sirius was coming home.

Coming home.

Now there was an odd way to think of things.

Sirius hadn't thought of the Black family estate as 'home' since his years at Hogwarts. Since the time Orion had tried to make his brother see reason on his choice of friends, and Sirius had taken severe exception to Orion's point of view. But they were boys at school anymore, and Sirius had made his choices. Unfortunately, he had chosen friends over family.

But that had been his choice then.

In the present, Sirius was coming back home, and he would need Orion's help more than ever to protect him. Voldemort was still out there, and he knew Sirius' condition. Maybe not the full extent of it or what course of action Orion and the others were taking to deal with it, but he knew. And he had likely shared that information with his Deatheaters, although Katlin had said she had heard nothing mentioned about it. But more likely than not, Sirius had been pegged by the Deatheaters as an easy target. No more trouble in eliminating than a muggle who was totally unable to defend himself against a magical attack.

With the kids working on their packing, Orion turned his attention to the other problem at hand.

"Bo."

Instantly the tower of dark robes appeared before Orion.

"Is everything ready?" He ask.

The boggart simply nodded.

"And you did everything I ask?"

The boggart nodded again, a little more slowly this time.

"Nothing magical that isn't absolutely necessary?" Orion ask. "No moving rooms, stationary pictures instead the usual, and all the house elves have been sent to Mum and Dad's?"

The boggart sighed loudly enough this time to ruffle to cloth in front of his face. With poorly disgusted showing of his feelings on the matter, Bo gestured briefly in front of him.

"I am not questioning your ability to do what I ask, Bo." Orion replied. "It's just that you sometimes...forget things. All right? I'm just trying to cover all the bases here. There can't be anything magical in the house when Sirius gets here. That's all."

The boggart made a quick, short gesture in front of him. One Orion barely recognized as 'Why?'.

The boggart had become so proficient in his sign language, Orion often times had to put serious effort in to keeping up with him as he rapidly went through a series of gestures to make up each sentence. And Bo's tendency to 'talk' on the level of the three year old Orion believed him to be did not help matters much. With no regard for sentence structure at all, it accelerated his speed while 'talking' considerably. Nouns, pronouns, adverbs, and prepositional phrases were often skipped over in favor of simple, shorter sentences. All of which combined to sometimes make the boggart darned near impossible to understand.

"Well, because Sirius is coming to stay for a while." Orion answered. "And we can't have Sirius seeing anything magical. All right?"

Orion had actually thought he might just skip trying to explain the situation to Bo in too much detail and simply confine him to his cellar for the duration of Sirius' visit. But in retrospect, he realized that with Bo's proficiency for showing up at the wrong time in the wrong place in the wrong way, that was simply a disaster waiting to happen. So it was likely best to just get it all out in the open.

Again the curt 'Why?' gesture answered him.

Orion sighed softly. No time like the present to explain things. "Because Sirius has had an...accident, Bo. And the result was that he lost his memory."

The boggart made a different gesture this time.

"Yes, it's sort of like a memory charm." Orion stated carefully. "But Sirius doesn't remember anything, Bo. He doesn't know any of the family, or people he's met before. And he won't remember having lived here as a child.

But mostly, Sirius doesn't remember he's a wizard, Bo. And he doesn't remember the wizarding community or even know it exists. He doesn't remember spells or charms or how to fly a broom...or even that someone can fly on a broom.

He is basically a muggle now and that's how we have to treat him. Showing him anything magical might...upset him. So we're just going to tone the magic way down for a while, OK?"

The boggart was already practically vibrating with excitement as he trilled a mile a minute as Orion tried to explain the situation to him.

Orion was pretty darned sure Bo never heard anything past the words 'memory charm'.

Bo make a series of quick gestures and Orion cringed inside at them.

"No!" He stated firmly, but quickly lowered his tone. "Bo, you are not to try and 'fix' Sirius. Do you understand me?"

The boggart started to make a series of gestures, but Orion cut him off by grabbing his hands.

"Bo," He stated again in a soft but firm tone, "I want us to be perfectly clear on this. You are not to try in any way, shape, or form, to try to fix or remove the memory charm on Sirius. Do you understand me?"

The boggart stood staring at him for a few moment.

Orion knew Bo too well to think this was just a processing phase. He knew what the boggart was doing was looking for a loop hole.

"Bo?" Orion ask, his tone still soft but firm. "You are not to try and do anything to Sirius. No removing, fixing, adjusting, or in any way attempting to modify his current memory. You understand that? If not, I'm going to send you to Mum and Dad's with Katlin and the kids. Now, do we understand each other? Yes or no?"

Bo paused for a moment longer, then finally nodded slowly. Orion knew he wasn't happy with the order, but was resigned to following it.

"All right. Has everyone got everything?"

Orion heard a clamor of feet on the stairs, signaling the arrival of his brood shortly in the foyer.

"But why do we have to leave?" Came Vincent's voice again.

"We never get to see Uncle Sirius anymore!" Lucy added in her voice to the argument.

"Uncle Sirus was going to help me tune my bike." Thomas added in. "He said he would do it the next time he came over. Why can't we just do that much?"

Orion met his eldest at the base of the stairs with a grim expression.

"Because your uncle likely doesn't know one end of a motorcycle from the other right now." He stated. "Now listen to me." He added, turning his attention to the rest of the group. "You r uncle is not coming here to be your personal entertainer. Sirius is ill and he needs some down time. Not a pack of entertainment-starved children clamoring for every spare minute.

You are going to go stay with your grandparents. You are going to like it. You are going to behave. And when all of this is over, I will be getting a full report from your grandmother on how you acted, and the one with the most black marks will be getting up close and personal with every cleaning utensil in this house until I feel good and ready to bring Tets and his crew back. And I will make personally sure that every one of them know exactly who was responsible for their having to stay away longer, including a picture for proper identification if necessary of the guilty party. Which is pretty much going to guarantee that person that your eggs will be burnt every morning for at least a fortnight.

Is there any part of that any one of you does not understand?"

Five heads quickly nodded.

"Good. Now be good for your Grandparents. They're old and sneaky."

"Grampa said he was going to teach me to apparate." Justin spoke up quickly.

Orion shot a quick look at his wife as she herded the children towards the front door.

"We'll talk about it when we get there." She answered the teenager in front of her as she shook her head at Orion. "Why don't you go with them and I'll stay here." She whispered to him as she walked past.

Orion gave her a quick kiss. "Because my parents like you better." He replied with a small smile.

Katlin sighed as she shook her head again, pulling the portkey out of her purse as she followed the group outside.

Orion watched as each of them grabbed hold of the metal ring.

"Behave yourselves." He told them one last time.

Five children waved enthusiastically and Katlin gave him a small kiss as they disappeared.

Sighing quietly to himself, Orion turned back to the house. There had been a time when having a large empty house all to himself didn't bother him in the least. In fact, he enjoyed it.

But somewhere between meeting an auburn-haired knockout and taking in five orphans, all of that had changed. Now he was facing a single night of being alone in the house, and he doubted he sleep a wink.

Maybe he'd just go down to the cellar and see if Bo had come up with anything new.

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Q&A

Family Ties

crazyme03:

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Sirius has to get his memory back! He just has to!  
I want to kick Voldemort for this, that's right, I want to kick him.  
Is Harry going to still stay with Orion? Or is he going with Arabella?  
Please continue this story. I have to see how it plays out.  
Thank you for sharing and all you hard work.  
Poor Voldemort is having some serious trouble with his fan club lately!

For the time being, Harry is staying with both Orion and Arabella while they play body guards to Sirius.

Of course the story will continue, Dear. I never post any story I don't intend to finish.

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One Night In Bangkok

ilovesiriusblack:

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Ok I've come to the conclusion that your Eric character is several fries short of a happy meal. I think he did just do it for fun. So here is my theory its far out there but for lack of evidence I feel it is as good as any other, Eric is head over heals in love with Katlin and he looks after Orion because he knows how devastated she'd be if anything happened to him? So how freezing cold am I?  
Good luck with your operation and I look forward to your next story.

Antarctica, Dear. But nice try.

No, Eric is not in love with Katlin. In fact, Eric considers love a rather wasted emotion and best avoided at all possible costs.

Well, we are not anticipating any problems. But heavens, they're cutting me open, so in my opinion, we already have problems.

MasterLupin:

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An interesting story, with a more intriguing character. I stand corrected about Harry being a mudblood, Silverfox and ilovesiriusblack are correct in stating that Harry is not a mudblood as that title is for magic people with muggle parents. Harry is a half-blood, as both his parents were magical, but not a pure blood because Lily is a mudblood. Although JKR never did state how many generations of witches/wizards had to be in the familytree to qualify one as pure.

Thank you, Dear.

It was all very confusing to me. For me it's enough to say if you can do magic, your a witch or a wizard. If you can't you're a muggle.

Keeping it simple for the older crowd.

All reviews are as of 07/06/2008.

And remember;

My opinion is never humble.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

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CHAPTER THREE: HOMECOMING

Harry wandered around the Black estate, looking over things as he waited for Orion and Arabella to bring Sirius home.

He had been amazed at the speed and efficiency with which things happened around the house.

According to Arabella, as soon as the doctor had agreed to release Sirius from the hospital, Orion had gone into action making sure the house was ready for his brother's return. Based on the doctor's recommendations, everything magical, or even vaguely related to anything magical, was removed. Within one day, there wasn't a single animated picture anywhere in the house, no unusual items in the cupboards of the kitchen, no strangely titled books on the library shelves, every house elf had been sent to stay with Orion's parents, the two motorcycles and two sports cars disappeared from the garage, and from what Harry could tell, every room in the house stayed exactly as it was and what it was from the last time you left it.

Much too his surprise, even the cellar had been utterly transformed. No endless staircase, no dark corners, no doorway leading to a red carpeted corridor with what seemed like endless doors. Even the boggart seemed for the moment to be banished from the premises, not that Harry could honestly say that bothered him too much.

The fact of the matter was, that anyone walking into the house wouldn't find so much as a magic trick left behind on the foyer table.

Having thought this would be the opportunity he had been looking forward to finally meeting his five cousins, Harry was seriously disappointed to learn that the Black children had been sent off to stay with their grandparents. So any introductions, Orion had explained, would have to wait.

To Harry the house was as muggle like as...well, as a muggle house.

Over all, only three magical elements were left where the house was concerned. One was the wards that protected the house. Orion had insisted they weren't detectable to anyone who wasn't magical, or who didn't have any idea magic existed. So there was little possibility that Sirius would inadvertently find out about them. And with his superior's warning still ringing in his ears about how badly Heudros hated being bested, Orion felt the extra protection was well worth the risk that Sirius would somehow encounter a ward.

The second, even though currently not visible, was the boggart. Orion had stated that, as part of the security set up of the house, having Bo in residence was a necessity, although he would be on a very short lease while Sirius was there.

The third, and the one Harry was most grateful for, was Roland. Orion had agreed that since Sirius wasn't a parseltongue, and he couldn't understand that Harry actually spoke to the small snake, Harry could keep Roland at the house. And it was largely for Roland's safety as well, since left on his own outside, it wasn't very likely Roland would survive very long. As soon as the other snakes learned of him, they would hunt him down no matter where he was.

But the arrangement was also under the understanding that Harry work very hard to limit any exposure Sirius had to Roland. No need in taking chances, his uncle had warned.

"Oh, for the love of...this place was nothing to write home about before. Now it's not only a priceless example of conspicuous consumerism, it's a dull one at that." the little snake complained from Harry's shoulder as they took a tour around the house once more before Orion and Arabella brought Sirius home from the hospital.

"It's not that bad, Roland." Harry replied. "It's just...now it's just a house, rather than a wizarding house."

"What it is, is dull." Roland reiterated. "I mean honestly, the only bright spot here is that the boggart had to pack it in as well."

Harry gave a small smile at Roland's opinion of the benefits of 'mugglizing' the house.

"Bo isn't gone, Roland," Harry reminded him. "He'll be around. But Orion said we probably won't even see him since he's under very strict orders to stay out of sight."

The little snake gave a forlorned sigh as he looked about from his perch on Harry's shoulder. "I think I would even be willing to put up with the walking dirty laundry basket rather than this."

"It's just until Orion finds a way to fix Sirius' memory." Harry replied. "And besides, it's really not that bad. I lived every summer in a muggle household, and students aren't allowed to do magic outside of school, so nothing much has really changed for me."

"Good for you." Roland replied flatly. "For me this is abominable."

Harry transferred the little snake onto his hand as he brought him about in front of him. "Why do you even care?" He ask. "You can't do magic."

"Says who?"

"Roland, you're a snake!"

"I'm a wizard's familiar! And familiar's, for your information, can most certainly do magic."

Harry gave the snake a skeptical look. "Like what?"

"Well, I can't spin off spells, if that's what you're waiting for." Roland replied in a flat tone. "But who got you through Heudros' wards?" He reminded him. "Who helped you find the unpleasant one in the castle when Heudros' people took him? Who helped you navigate the castle? The point being, Harry, I'm used to being around magic. Being in a place almost completely devoid of it makes me uneasy."

"Well, you'll just have to get used to it with the rest of us for now." Harry replied, "Because..."

But Harry stopped abruptly when he heard a car drive up. He had actually gotten used to hearing his uncle's roadster drive into the garage at night with enough force that the listener was left wondering if the man could possibly stop in time to avoid hitting the back wall of the garage. But the car that approached the house now sounded every bit as normal as the house looked. Orion, having had to banish his beloved roadster from the premises due to its magical enhancements, had swapped the car out for a large, four door sedan. Something Harry had a hard time visualizing his uncle driving.

Harry quickly stuffed Roland in the hood of his sweater as he ran to the door in anticipation. He couldn't believe Sirius was finally coming home. For nearly a week they had kept him more or less in isolation in the hospital, finally moving him from the magical ward of St. Andrew's to the muggle area of the hospital, something that had for some reason grated on Orion's nerves to no end. When he had ask about it, his uncle had simply mumbled something about it being like they were taking the first steps in exiling Sirius from the wizarding community. Punishing him all over again for something that was, once again, not his doing.

Arabella, on the other hand, seemed completely in favor of the doctor's reasoning that until a cure could be found, Sirius should be kept from anything that might even remotely hint of magic or his connection to it. Over and over they stated how dangerous such a revelation could be to someone in Sirius' condition, let alone for the wizarding world on the whole. Not knowing he was a wizard also precluded Sirius' knowing any of the laws governing their community.

Harry stood as patiently as he could in the foyer, waiting for Orion and Arabella to bring Sirius in from the car. He wasn't sure what exactly he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what he got.

For the most part, Sirius looked exactly the same as Harry last remembered him. A bit on the thin side perhaps, but on the whole, considering what he had been through, remarkably healthy. Orion had found a plain pair of black jeans and a pull-over shirt for him to wear home from the hospital, and in them, again, he looked much as Harry remembered him.

What he couldn't reconcile was the look his godfather gave him as he stepped into the house.

For all they had been through together, all the time they had spent together, and how much they had come to mean to each other, there wasn't one ounce of recognition in in the stare that greeted him. To Harry, Sirius could have been looking at any stranger on the street with just as much interest as he now looked at his godson.

"Hi, Sirius." Harry offered quickly, glancing to each of the other two adults for any guidance. "I'm Harry..., your godson." He added by way of explanation.

The man standing before him merely nodded at the introduction, and once again Harry's gaze went to the other two adults.

"Sirius is a bit tired, Harry." Arabella replied quietly. "Dr. Martinson recommended we just let him rest for a few hours once he got home, OK."

Harry quickly nodded and stepped back, letting Orion and Arabella guide Sirius past him.

"Well, that went well." Roland stated, poking his head out of the sweater's hood as Orion and Arabella guided Sirius up the stairs. "Not only has he lost his memory, he's forgotten how to talk, and is totally devoid of any manners."

"He's tired, Roland." Harry replied "And he's probably pretty confused about things."

"Why don't you just go to the unpleasant one and tell him to remove the spell?" Roland stated. "That seems the simplest solution."

"Because it's not a spell that can be removed." Harry answered. "The doctors said Sirius' memory was almost completely erased. He doesn't remember anything."

"Phhhffft." Roland replied. "What do doctor's know about spells? Even magic can't truly 'erase' someone's memory, Harry. It's still there. The person just can't access it.

Trust me, whatever the unpleasant one did to your godfather, he can most likely reverse it."

Harry turned a skeptical gaze to Roland. "Even if he could," he stated, "it's hardly likely he would, is it?"

Roland considered the statement. "You may have a point there. You and Arabella dealt his ego one serious blow. I would seriously doubt he's sitting around just thinking up ways to make you happy."

Harry conceded that was probably all too true. But despite Roland's warning, Harry couldn't help but foster a small hope maybe he was wrong. Not about the memory spell. That actually made perfect sense to him. If Voldemort had used a memory spell to erase Sirius's memory, surely such a spell could be removed, or at the very least, countered.

But the real question was would he do it? True, he and Arabella had likely dealt Voldemort a very hard blow in choosing Sirius over him, but he also had to realize what he was asking. That they let Sirius, in effect, die, without doing whatever they could to save him.

And they had made a deal. One that Voldemort had no right at the last minute to try and chance.

Harry was still pondering the idea when Arabella came back down the stairs.

"Orion is getting Sirius settled in." She commented, breaking into his thoughts. "Overall, he seems most comfortable with Orion." She considered her own statement for a moment. "That's got to be something of a surprise even for the great Orion Black."

Harry looked up from his thoughts. "Why?"

Arabella smiled down at him. "Because before all this happened, Harry, finding the two Black brother's in a room together, not in the middle of a magical duel, would be something of a surprise for the rest of us."

"But back when we were in the forest, and Katlin was hurt, Sirius was with us then, and he and Orion seemed to get along fine."

"Common ground, Harry." Arabella replied. "As you said, Katlin was hurt, and Orion will overlook a lot where her welfare is concerned."

"He does seem to care about her a lot." Harry conceded.

Arabella gave the assessment a small laugh. "Orion is down-right crazy in love with his wife, Harry. I don't think there's anything in this world he prizes more than her."

"How is Sirius?" Harry ask, getting back to his godfather's condition.

Arabella sighed quietly. "He's healthy enough, Harry. Physically there's nothing wrong with him."

"He's just nuts." Came the comment from Harry's shoulder, where Roland had placed himself again.

"He's not nuts." Harry warned the little snake with a slightly harsh tone. "And shouldn't you be out of sight?"

Roland turned to him. "Why?"

"What is Sirius sees you?"

"He sees a snake. Big deal. Hasn't he seen one before? Though if not, that could be a bit of a shock, I guess. Small, green thing with no legs."

"He might see me talking to you." Harry replied. "And that's against the rules."

Roland seemed to consider the situation and slowly, something Harry was sure was a smile formed on the little snake's face. "I think I'll just sit here...quietly, if it's all the same to you."

"Sirius might see you!" Harry repeated.

"He's got to see me sometime, Harry." Roland replied. "And I would rather it was sitting on your shoulder, which says 'Friend', rather than in a hallway at night, which says 'Vermin - kill it!'."

Harry considered Roland's words before finally turning to Arabella. The argument sounded reasonable to him.

"Is it OK if Sirius sees Roland so soon?" He ask. "Just so he knows Roland isn't a...vermin?"

Arabella thought for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose that's reasonable. Just make sure Sirius doesn't see you talking to him."

Harry nodded. "So how is Sirius?" He asked again. "Aside from having no memory?"

"Well, as I said," Arabella replied again, "with the exception of his injured leg, physically he's fine. Which is remarkable in itself considering what he's been through. But as Orion explained to you, we have to be very careful to make sure Sirius doesn't see any magic."

"But why?" Harry ask. "I mean, Sirius is a wizard. Shouldn't he be learning how to use magic again as well?"

"That's a hard call to make, Harry." Arabella replied. "And for now Sirius' doctors feel it would be best if he doesn't learn about any of that part of his past for the time being. He has enough to deal with just trying to relearn his life right now. Plus, when he was in the hospital, the doctors didn't let him see any magic, not sure how he would react to it, since he seems to have no knowledge of it anymore. So Sirius has only seen the world as a muggle would see it. Based on that, they felt it was best we just stay with that premise with Sirius for right now. Give him time to readjust to just 'life' before we throw anything out of the ordinary at him past what he now views as 'ordinary'."

"For how long?" Harry ask.

"Sirius' doctor felt it would be best we leave it up to Orion, since he seems to be the one best able gage your godfather's responses to things at the moment. When Orion feels Sirius can handle that, we'll introduce him back into the magical side of his life slowly. And we have to be careful not to do it in a way that will frighten him. If he gets a negative opinion of magic or magic users, it could have repercussions on everything else."

"How so?"

"Well, suppose Sirius decides wizards and witches are bad people, Harry? Doing bad things, or that it's wrong we don't tell the non-magical world about us? Then what? Sirius could jeopardize the whole wizarding community, or worse, if he forms a prejudice against magic users, where does that leave you and me. You see?"

Harry nodded.

"So for now, we'll just have to play it by ear, see how things develop, and hope for the best."

Harry gave another nod. But somehow he couldn't help dislodge the feeling this wasn't going to be at all as easy as it sounded.

****

Q&A

MasterLupin:

****

Well this chapter explained for me how the five kids meet Sirius, but has Harry meet his cousins yet? I think that if Harry (and I fail to see why he won't) stays at the Black house with Arabela and Orion, he will meet his cousin Thomas maybe /- more in the halls one night while they try to say high to Sirius.  
Also a question occurs to me, dose Voldemort in this story have a connection to Harry's mind, like sending the fake dream in book four? That could be a great plot devise.

As to date, no, Harry has not met any of his cousins.

Don't count on it. When Orion says 'you have to stay with Mum and Dad for the time being', that does not include a one day pass back to the house to say 'hi' to anyone. Being caught going boldly against this rule would be most unpleasant for the perpetrator.

Canon-wise, I tended to follow everything right up to the end of Book IV as things were laid out. However, in regards to that matter, if the connection exists, you can safely assume he is not making use of it right now.

ilovesiriusblack:

****

If they don't remind him about magic how is he supposed to remember? I like that the kids get on with him, I'd still like to read the whole story though I bet Sirius was pretty nervous as well after all the last time Thomas thought he saw a bad guy he went running to the aurors. From the eye patch I take it Orion had the sense not to let a three year old perform laser eye surgery on him although if his eye is ruined anyway what does he have to loose?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Right now the people in Sirius' life are trying to get a handle on just how much he remembers about anything. His life, his family...right down to basic living skills. So far, things are not looking really good.

It would likely make a very good story, but I am already bogged down with writing projects and am not looking to add any more to the list right now. During my surgery I am suppose to be doing some work for my agent that will likely keep me quite busy. And I think Thomas learned his lesson about running to the Ministry of Magic before he has all the facts.

True, Orion has seen the wisdom of NOT letting Bo fiddle around with his eye injury. What does he have to lose? Making it worse, Dear. Currently Orion's injury is not guaranteed to be permanent. Letting Bo practice his healing skills on it could change that classification.

Silverfox:

****

Okay, let's see whether I can remember everything I meant to mention ...  
If we're playing the diving into the wrong pond game again, I'm guessing that Eric is somehow related to Orin and he wants neither the trouble with Orin, if he successfully captures his favourite agents, nor the trouble with Voldemort, if Orion and Charlie mess up his plans and then get away. (End of wild guessing inspired by title of this fic and not much else.)  
I understand why Orion doesn't want Sirius to have to deal with the entire large family right away, though I'd love to finally see the chaos of having them all plus Harry living under the same roof, but why does he want him to get used to the idea that he is a Muggle? Why not get started on relearning magic as soon as possible in the hope that he'll be ready to defend himself again by the time the death eaters get their hands on him?  
And I really can't wait to finally meet Orion's parents much longer. They like their death eater daughter in law better than their son? Now that is impressive.  
Good luck for the surgery. Hope you recover quickly and it doesn't hurt much

WOW! Well, you can just color me impressed!!

Not only are you in the right pond, Dear, you managed to pick the place where the picnic is going on as well!

All of that just from the title!? I am doubly impressed, as that the title of the story has tons to do with what goes on between the pages.

Sadly, however, that is all I can say about the first part of your review. Anything more and I might as well just post the outline for the story and be done with it.

But wow! Am I impressed! (You'll also notice I am not telling you what might be right, wrong, or otherwise.)

The probably of keeping something secret decreases exponentially with the number of people who know about it or are added to the mixture, Dear. In other words, the more people who know about the situation, added in with how many people are around, makes for the greater possibility someone will mess up and have Sirius seeing something he isn't suppose to. Orion is basically just trying to simplify the situation.

Part of the reasoning was explained in this chapter. The bottom line, however was that Sirius' doctor's felt that the man was dealing with enough without adding 'And you're a wizard." into the mix as well.

Although that comment was really Orion's dry sense of humor, Orion's parents hold no animosity towards their daughter-in-law. Like their son, they simply look beyond the politics. And remember that Katlin isn't your stereotypical Deatheater, either. She doesn't follow Voldemort as blindly as most of the others and currently her role in the lair is more to try and keep the man from going totally off the wall than anything else.

Past that, you are dealing with simple respect. Something Katlin has more than earned from her in-laws.

'Meeting the Parents' will post as an independent story probably in a few months.

Thank you, Dear. Hopefully no surprises.

All reviews are as of 07/13/2008.

And remember;

Life is easy.

Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things.

(Yes, yes, I know it's a repeat, but I like this one.)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: And as always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER FOUR: SETTLING IN

Sirius sat on a bench under a tree in the large, backyard garden, contemplating his situation.

But then, he hadn't done much else for the past four days he had been back at the Black estate.

No. 'Home', he reminded himself. This was his home. He had to start thinking of it that way, the doctor's had told him.

'Reassociating himself with his past', they had called it. The more he immersed himself back into that life, the greater his chances something might spark a memory. And so he followed the doctors suggestions and tried as hard as he could to simply live his life normally. Or as close to 'normally' as he could under the circumstances.

But it wasn't proving to be an easy task on any front. First there was the fact that he didn't remember anything in this place. Everything he looked at to him he was seeing for the first time. Orion had taken him on the 'grand tour', showing him room after room for what seemed like hours. He had shown Sirius portraits of Black ancestors hanging about the house, explaining who each one was in relation to them both, shown him snapshots in albums, and introduced him to his parents again through those photos.

Orion had smiled slightly at Sirius' comment that his parents seemed to be people in their early sixties. But when he ask what was so funny, Orion had simply shook his head and instead directed Sirius' attention to something else.

And that was a large part of what was causing his unease these past few days.

There seemed to be some underlying current of secrecy in the house. Something everyone else was privy to but him. Even the boy...Harry...seemed to be in on whatever that 'something' was.

Sirius couldn't quite put his finger on exactly what tipped him off to the secrecy. Mostly, however, it was the way everyone acted around him. At first he thought it was simply due to everyone needing to get used to him being around again, but not remembering anything.

But the strange behavior was starting to get on his nerves. Like how every conversation seemed to be carefully scripted long before it was delivered. Orion and Arabella were masters at having these conversations with him. They would chat and talk amiably with him, but if Sirius ever seemed to hit on a subject they didn't want to go any further than a few opening sentences, Sirius started to note that the topic was very carefully maneuvered to something else over several subject changes until they were miles away in subject matter from what he had started originally talking about.

And so prevalent did these topic changes become that Sirius started taking note of the subjects that seemed to trigger them.

Odd events around the world seemed to be number one.

An unusual murder case in the paper or on the news seemed a close second.

His old life was a steadfast third place holder. Not in general, but in detail. Any time Sirius tried to bring up his school days or growing up with his parents, Orion shifted the subject quickly away to something else, stating that it was better for Sirius to work on memories from his recent past rather than things so long ago even Orion had trouble remembering them.

But to Sirius it seemed almost as if his life had begun just a few weeks ago. In the house he could find very little of himself. In the bedroom he was told was his, the whole room looked more as though an interior decorator had recently come in and furnished the it. There was very little he could find that identified the room as specifically his. The cloths were all new. And while there were souvenirs or personal knick knacks on the dresser and shelves, they all appeared to have been carefully placed where they were. As well there were no decorations on the walls past a few assorted paintings and family pictures. The room simply seemed to lack any personal quality over all.

And in pictures Orion had shown him in the albums, Sirius had quickly noted that, in any of the pictures taken in the past few years, he was conspicuously absent from them. Family trips, family gatherings, family get-togethers. While crowded with people he didn't remember, he could never find himself in any of them.

When he ask Orion about the oddness of his absence in the photos, his brother had simply replied that Sirius was something of a photo buff and preferred being behind the camera as opposed to in front of it.

But the biggest forbidden subject Sirius had come across which clearly held the grand prize place all by itself, was the 'ghost'.

The subject had come up innocently enough in Sirius' mind. He had been in the pallor with his brother one night and had ask Orion if the house was haunted.

The man had almost literally frozen with a drink halfway to his mouth. And then, in a very cautious, but unmistakably cool voice, and attempting to mask it behind a curious smile, Orion had ask him what he meant.

Sirius went on to explain that on several occasions over the past few days he could have sworn he felt someone watching him. Then one night he had woken up in the middle of the night and would swear he saw a large dark shadow in the corner of his room. He hadn't moved at first, but simply stared at it as he remained motionless in the bed. But when he did finally raise himself up to confront the 'ghost', the shadow vanished.

Sirius was treated to another course of 'change the subject', but this time the subject matter was dropped so quickly he was sure he never got any answer at all from his brother past the look on Orion's face when he mentioned seeing the shadow in his room. The look had come and gone so quickly, if he hadn't been watching for it, he was sure he would have missed it. His brother, he had quickly learned, was a master at hiding his emotions. But if Sirius watched for them specifically, every so often he would catch something in the man's expression. Especially if Sirius managed to catch him as much off guard by his questions as this one had. And the look he had caught this time had clearly been one that positively screamed that the subject matter was something Orion did not want Sirius pursuing.

Nothing more was ever said about the 'ghost' on Orion's side past one last comment on it one morning when Sirius came down to breakfast.

"I think that ghost was in my room again last night." Sirius had stated as he sat down at the table with his morning cup of coffee. The subject had become a favorite of his lately and he brought it up as often as he could just to see what reaction it would get, whether he had actually seen the tall, dark robed figure or not.

Arabella had looked up with her usual pleasant interest, but Orion had maintained his current position without so much as a muscle twitch.

"No. I don't think you saw him last night." Had been Orion's answering comment.

Sirius looked up from his coffee. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because that ghost has been exorcized." His brother replied, looking up briefly with a small smile. "So I wouldn't worry about him any more. Now, what are your plans for today? Hopefully nothing outside. They say in the paper it looks like rain early on."

And that was just how fast a subject was dropped with his brother. Sirius had tried bringing it up with him again later that day, but Orion had shut down Sirius' questions as quickly as he always did when the subject wasn't allowed.

"There was no ghost, Sirius." Orion explained. "It was just a trick of the light that night and your own overactive imagination."

"Then what did you mean by saying it had been exorcised? You don't get rid of something that never existed, Orion."

"I meant that the subject was closed. We're exorcising it by leaving it alone from now on. Allowing you to keep bringing it up is just solidifying it in your mind. Now you practically imagine it around every corner. You need to forget about it, all right?"

And true enough, Orion had closed the subject. Even when Sirius tried to question Arabella about it. She had given him a pleasant enough smile, but Sirius could easily see the forcedness behind it as she calmly replied that she had never seen any ghosts around the house herself, and was he ready for lunch.

Sirius sighed to himself. Something was definitely going on. If he could just figure out what.

(--)

Orion watched his brother from an upstairs window.

He hated seeing Sirius look so lost, so far from his usual, flamboyant self, and knowing there was little he could do to fight this enemy for him.

Away from Sirius, the doctors had told Orion and Arabella that the likelihood of Sirius getting his memory back due to the power of the spell was, unfortunately, very slim. Unless they found some way to remove the spell, it was unlikely Sirius would ever recover his memory on his own. The spell was simply too powerful to allow for that.

Of course, Sirius had no way of knowing that his memory lose was due to something a bit more severe than a simple case of amnesia. But that was the diagnosis he had been given by the doctors and everyone around Sirius had kept to the same story. A single car accident where he had apparently swerved on a back country road to miss an animal and had hit a tree, resulting in a nasty blow to the head.

Orion had done everything the doctors had suggested. He had removed every scrap of magic or magical items from the house with the exception of the wards and protection spells. Every picture in the house had been charmed to remain in one position in Sirius' presence, and everyone had been sworn to not do magic unless it was absolutely necessary.

They were basically to live as muggles until the situation changed.

From the first day his brother came home Orion had started to work on trying to help Sirius regain even part of his memory. He had followed the doctors suggestions to try showing him familiar things. The house, the grounds, pictures of family members.

He remembered showing Sirius the family albums, all of the pictures charmed so they would stay still like ordinary muggle photos. When they had come to pictures of their parents, Orion remembered Sirius' comment that the two people in the photo looked only to be in their early 60's. Sirius had caught the smile and Orion had quickly moved them on to something else to distract his brother. How could he explain the humor he had found in the comment, that two people who Sirius saw as no more than in their early 60's were well past that age decades ago.

The hardest part was to keep Sirius from questioning things so much. But his brother's natural curiosity was close to driving him nuts. Orion knew Sirius had sensed something was out of place, and was struggling to find out exactly what didn't 'feel' right. Orion clung to the hope that this 'feeling' was exactly the key they needed to open his memory. But all it had produced so far was problems.

One such problem, and one Sirius had picked up on fairly quickly, was that his own presence seemed to be missing from the house. Orion had not wanted to go into Sirius' imprisonment, even rearranging the facts to suit a more 'muggle' incarceration to explain his apparent absence from family related things over the past few years. But Sirius was quick to notice his absence from any recent family photos. And Orion was sure Sirius had noted how pristine his own room was. He had tried to pass it off as stating they had had it cleaned for his homecoming. But explaining off the lack of overly personal items and the new cloths was a bit more of a problem.

Equally was Orion sure Sirius had noted the lack of any personal items of his own anywhere in the house. He had tried to cover this angle as best he could, buying assorted books he thought Sirius might like and putting them in the library and stocking a few of his favorite foods in the icebox and pantry. But all of it had failed to sooth Sirius' growing feeling of unease about the house.

And of course, Bo had not hoped one bit.

Orion had had a very long, serious talk with the boggart before Sirius' arrival, explaining that while he needed Bo there to help protect Sirius and keep the house wards up, he had to be very careful not to let Sirius see him.

A talk the boggart had apparently only put in a physical appearance for as far as Orion was concerned. Since from his actions he obviously had not listened to a single word.

The day after Sirius had first mentioned his encounter with the 'ghost', Orion had practically apparated straight into the cellar right in front of Sirius.

"What exactly is it you think you're doing!?" Orion had stated later that night after Sirius had gone to bed and he could safely call the boggart out. "You were told, very strictly, that you were not to be seen. Under any circumstances. And not only are you directly disobeying me on that point, you're holding a 'sit-in' in my brother's room in the middle of the night?"

The boggart had flown into a series of gestures.

"You are suppose to protect him!" Orion fired back. "But that does not require you being his shadow! You can protect him without being seen and from now on that is what you are to do. Or else I know one boggart who is going to find himself exiled to mum and dad's house for the duration!"

And since that night, Bo seemed to follow Orion's instructions, since Sirius never mentioned seeing the 'ghost' again.

Orion rubbed the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes.

The next few weeks he simply did not see as being easy ones.

****

Q&A

MasterLupin:

****

Well I get the impression, and maybe I am looking to deep here, but I think that no one has bothered to cast a finite incantation on Sirius. And knowing Voldemort, removing the spell that locked up Sirius' memory it would be just that easy ( so simple that no one thinks of it). I think Roland will also be instrumental in Sirius' healing, either by himself or through Harry.

Actually, dear, the reason no one has tried that particular spell is because the authoress has no idea what it is. What book was that in?

Ummmm..., no. Not really. Roland is more there for my entertainment right now. But keep in mind, he is also a great source of information on Heudros and what he may be up to as well as helping to predict his future actions.

ilovesiriusblack:

****

I just cant see Sirius being hapy with the arrangements once he gets his memory back. He doesn't like his brother for good reason and I think he might feel that Orion is taking advantage of the situation. I'm not saying that I think he is taking advantage but we all know what Sirius is like.  
Personaly if all Roland is going to do all story is complain I wouldn't be against Sirius treading on his tail in the middle of the night, no permanent damage just to shut him up for a bit.  
Is it possible to accidently chang in to your animagus form?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Sirius isn't happy with the situation now, Dear. I doubt he'll be any more pleased with it when he learns the truth. But that's a bridge they will have to cross when they come to it.

Indeed, Orion isn't trying to take any advantage of the situation. He is honestly trying to do what he feels is right for Sirius. Maybe not in the best possible way, but personal relations was never Orion's long-suit.

Well, maybe not all of the story, but complaining is one of the things Roland tends to do best. But in certain other aspects he is very useful.

I never heard of that happening in any of Rowling's stories, and I can safely say that in this one it also is not going to happen. I think changing into an animagus form takes a considerable amount of will, and if you don't know you can do it, how can you will yourself to?

All reviews are as of 07/27/2008.

And remember;

One more posting to surgery, folks. After that I'll be off for several weeks. However, I will finish you up on a story arc, meaning that this story line will be closing down for a few chapters. When I come back, we'll be picking up with where and what poor little Becca's been up to these past weeks.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER FIVE: OUT OF THE PAST

(aka: It's Suppose To Be My Day Off)

Orion was right in the middle of a purely captivating dream involving himself, his wife, and a moonlight beach when an alarm went off. Reaching over to the bedside table he hunted around for the alarm clock as the sound continued gaining in intensity. Something that was doing nothing for his mood that morning.

"Katlin?" He mumbled finally, pulling the blanket over his head, "Can you please make that noise stop?"

No answer came from the other side of the bed.

Orion pulled himself out from under the blanket and rolled over, only to meet a vacant expense of bed where his wife usually slept.

Oh. Right. She was off reminding his parents why a daughter would have been so much better for their first born.

Sighing loudly, Orion pulled himself up and glanced over at where the alarm clock sat on the nightstand.

Where it sat 'quietly' on the night stand.

Frowning at the small clock, and with one possibility ruled out, Orion quickly cast his single eyed gaze around the room for the source of the noise.

Following the sound, Orion eventually came to a small ball that was sitting in the corner of the room, shaking like something inside of it desperately wanted out, and sounding like that something was a swarm of bees.

Angry bees, if the noise was any indication.

Orion got up and walked over to the small, vibrating ball.

"It's my day off." He told it with a solid, irritated tone.

The ball seemed not only to not care about Orion's work status for the day, but became even more irritated by his lack of proper attention to it.

"Sod off." He told it.

The little ball stopped it's vibrating for a moment, but then sudden went into a hyper version of its former act, now including a high pitched whine that grew in intensity with each passing second Orion continued to ignore it.

"Fine." Orion stated, pulling out his wand, "But it's going to be overtime."

Pointing his wand at the vibrating ball, which was by now bouncing violently about the floor, Orion spoke a quick spell, sending a bolt of light right at the small sphere.

Instantly the little ball stopped it's actions as the light enveloped it. After a few seconds of inactivity, it broke open and small representation of Orin Bale's office appeared above the open sphere.

"About bloody time!" Orion's superior stated, seated in the chair behind his desk.

"And a good morning to you too." Orion replied. "If you're calling to remind me it's my day off, I already know, Orin."

"I'm calling to inform you an old friend of yours has come calling again." The head of the Unspeakables replied.

"Old friend?" Orion ask, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. "What old friend?"

"Be in my office in fifteen minutes and I'll reintroduce you."

(--)

"It appears," Bale stated, as soon as Orion apparated into his office and seated himself in the chair before his desk, "that our Mr. Barantor is back."

It took Orion a full ten seconds to put a face with the unfamiliar name.

"Heudros!" He stated, nearly coming out of the chair he was seated in. "Heudros is back? How do you know?"

Orin shoved a file across his desk to Orion, who took and quickly began scanning the pages.

"These are just the preliminary reports." Orin replied. "And if the man goes back to his former MO, I'm sure they're just the beginning."

Orion read the reports, five in all, of killings that had happened in the past few days. All of the victims witches or wizards.

Orion slowly lifted his gaze back to his superior. "None of this has been on the muggle news."

Orin waved the comment off. "We shut it down long before it got that far." He replied. "The last thing I need right now is the muggle press getting wind of any of this."

"How do we know for sure it's Heudros?" Charly ask. Orion's partner had already been in Bale's office when Orion got there, and had so far stood silently in one of the corners, watching Orion's exchange with Bale.

"We don't...for sure." Orin answered him. "But the other last thing I want to be dealing with is a copy cat. Which is where you and Black come in."

Orion's head came up. "Us?"

"Assuming that you've filled your partner in on this matter," Orin replied, fixing his stare on his agent, "you and Misser are the closest thing I have to experts on this man right now. I want to know where he's likely to be hiding, how many of his followers are back with him, what his plans are, and who his next target might be."

"It's suppose to be my day off." Orion mumbled glumly.

Bale leaned over his desk towards him. "I'll tell you what, Black." He stated in a low, calm voice. "Why don't we all just ignore this little bit of information, let Heudros run amok for a few weeks until the Minister gets wind of it, and finds out that the Department of Mysteries already knew about the man's activities, but just couldn't be buggered to do anything about it because it interfered with our day off? I am sure at that point that the Minister will have no trouble whatsoever arranging for us all to have lots of nice days off, where we can wile away some of that free time in the unemployment line. Or," he continued, "you and Misser can spend a lovely day together formulating a few theories on what Mr. Barantor might be up to."

Orion frowned at the man. "Is that an actual choice?" He ask.

Bale turned his attention to Charly. "Get this man out of my office. And don't either of you come back until you have something to present that's seriously worth my time."

(--)

"It's suppose to be my day off." Orion grumbled as he headed down the corridor towards the office he shared with Charly, his partner at his side.

"Will you give it a rest?" Charly replied in a similar tone. "Or I'll get you some cheese to go with that whine of yours."

"I would just like the opportunity once in a while," Orion said, "to see my kids on a schedule that is close enough to resembling normal so they stop thinking of me as just the guy who sleeps with their Mum every so often."

"Look," Charly stated, "from what you've told me, you've kept Becca under wraps, right? You never mentioned her or her part in all this to anyone. Not even Bale."

Orion nodded.

"And from her reaction to you last time, it's possible Becca may have a bone to pick with you."

"I don't think she's angry with me, Charly. She wasn't angry when I saw her talking to you at the castle remains. She was...more scared than anything."

"Angry...scared...it can amount to the same reaction, mate." Charly stated. "Defense. Which is what she's likely to employ around you."

"So what are you suggesting?" Orion ask.

"That you go home and keep watch at the home front, especially over Sirius. In his current condition, he'd be a sitting duck for someone like Becca. While your guarding that end of things, I'll go see if I can't hunt up our pretty little sociopath and see if I can get any answers from her about these recent killings."

"Charly, that girl could be very dangerous."

"To you, Orion. Me she just sees as an irritant at best."

"And she has some really interesting ways of dealing with those, Charly."

"Maybe, but at least she isn't looking to kill me on sight, is she?"

"She wasn't trying to kill me, Charly. She ran when she saw me."

"And maybe next time she doesn't."

Orion sighed to himself. He wasn't up to arguing with Charly today. But he didn't think his partner's plan was a good one. It was too dangerous.

"Orion, I may not be a full wizard, but I can take care of myself." Charly stated.

Orion sighed again. Denying him now would make Charly think Orion didn't believe his friend could protect himself. That was never a good thing with Charly.

"All right." Orion finally agreed. "But you sniff the smallest bit of trouble you get out of there. Or at the very least call Bo for help."

Charly nodded. "Won't be necessary, mate. The muggle can look after himself."

****

Q&A

MasterLupin:

****

The spell can be found in the Chamber of Secrets, it is finite incantatem, and as the name implies it stops currently operating spell effects.  
It seems to me that by trying to pretend that magic doesn't exist they are in effect making the memory loss situation worse. Sirius knows that something isn't right indicating that his memory is still there but access to it is being blocked.  
So what is Harry doing in the house all day, he can't hang with Sirius, and I am sure that he wouldn't interact with Orion on anything more then a you are my uncle level. It must be very boring, not even allowed to play with wizard games.  
I hope your surgery goes well, take lots of vitamins at least a week before. Especially zinc which can help boost your immune system.

Shows what I know...or what I remember.

Right now all they're trying for is stability. When they achieve that with Sirius, they'll start reintroducing him to his 'normal' life. But right now they want to get a base line reading of exactly how much he does remember.

Harry can interact with Sirius, he just has to be extremely careful when he does. Something he is not as well versed in as the two adult Aurors he lives with. And keep in mind that underneath everything, Sirius is also a highly trained Auror. And it is in part that training, still a part of his general personality, that is tipping him off to the inconsistencies going on around him. And you will actually get to see a good deal more of Harry's time with Sirius in up coming chapters.

Actually, I went right out and bought a bottle of Zinc just last week. But when I went for my pre-op surgery exam, one of the papers they gave me told me to stop all supplements one week prior to surgery due to increase problems with bleeding, which will be one of the problems we are dealing with here. Due to a previous blood clot in my leg after the past surgery, they will be giving me Heparin right before they start, so bleeding could be a serious problem, you see.

But that bottle of Zinc is waiting for me when I get home, right along with my multi-vitamins.

ilovesiriusblack:

****

Excellent chapter. Poor Bo how was he supposed to know Sirius would wake up?  
Wouldn't Sirius be better off at Arrabella's cottage? I'm sure that Bo is more than capable of protecting him there as well as at the black estate and it's bound to feel more like home. I think that if they don't start opening up some more soon Sirius is going to loose any trust in them he ever hadand then he'll be doing the opposite of whatever they tell him to do,which I personally hope will involve going to see Bo in the basement.  
**Looking forward to the next chapter and I hope your surgery goes well.**

Poor Bo indeed. He tries so hard and mostly seems to get it wrong.

Arabella's cottage is not warded as heavily as Orion keeps the family home. To set up anything nearly as complicated and secure as the Black estate would take some serious time. Time they simply do not have.

Actually, no where feels like home to Sirius right now.

Trust is indeed going to be a very touchy issue here, but not as bad as you may expect. Sirius knows the people around him are trying to help him. He just can't shake the nagging little feeling something isn't right.

In answer to your last comment, boy, are you going to be one happy little camper!

And thank you for your well wishes on my surgery.

Silverfox:

****

Oh, poor Bo, mistaken for a ghost.  
**I just can't help thinking that the lack of magic everywhere and not telling him about his stay in Azkaban (recent memories) are exactly what keeps Sirius from remembering anything. He grew up with moving pictures, so of course still ones wouldn't feel familiar no matter how often he's seen them before.  
I think MasterLupin is referring to finite incantatem which Severus Snape used to cancel the spells the students had cast on each other when Lockhart's dueling lesson got out of hand.  
As for Eric I was going on the title, yes, but also what we've seen of him so far. I guess sometimes even a clumsy fox like me can stumble into the right pond. ;)**

Actually, he would probably like that...or at least the boggart side of him would.

As mentioned before, keeping memories from Sirius is not a life long intention. The others are just trying to feel out right now just how bad Sirius' memory loss is. Which currently is looking pretty bad.

Actually, Sirius' time in Azkaban will get mention here on a fairly important note, because that time in opposition with his memory loss will have an effect on him, although probably not the one you're thinking.

That does appear to be the spell.

Just be careful of the tail when you stumble into those ponds, Dear. We had so much trouble with it the last time.

ilovesiriusblack:

****

Just wondering, has Sirius looked in the mirror lately? If it were me I'd want to know where I got all the marks on my back.  
Again great chapter looking forward to the next one.

Uh-oh.

If you are referring to all the tattooing Sirius sported in the movie, Dear, ummmmmmm..., although not entirely canon, feel fairly safe in assuming that in PAR's universe, he spent a lot less time at the tattoo parlor, ok?

All reviews are as of 08/03/2008.

And remember;

Here you have it, folks. My last post before surgery. PAR will now be off line for at least two weeks.

My surgery is scheduled for August 6th, and I am currently the first patient on the list for surgery that morning, which means I get the sharp, clean scalpel. Go me!

Wish me luck, remember me in your prayers, and I hope to see you all back in a few weeks.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Looking for a PAR update? See the Author's page.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER 6: BECCA'S RETURN

Charly took a portkey directly back to the remains of the castle. He hated pulling the 'muggle' card on his partner, but sometimes the guilt of others worked for him. Especially with Orion whenever he tried to overcompensate for Charly not being a wizard. Charly would simply start hitting on the points that Orion was not appearing to trust in his abilities. It didn't always work for him, but thankfully this time, it had.

Appearing close to where he had been before, Charly didn't waste any time in getting down to business.

"Heudros!" He called out to the stillness of the forest around him. "Show yourself, you lame excuse for a wizard! Or are you so pathetic now without your source of magic backing you, your afraid to face even a muggle?"

Charly listened intently for any reply. But the only sound that reached his ears was of a few birds singing in the trees close by.

"Heudros!" Charly called out again, all but screaming the man's name into the peaceful woods surrounding him.

"Why are you calling for Heudros?" A familiar voice asked from behind him. "Do you know where he is?"

Charly paused for a moment, but then turned slowly around to face the slight woman standing behind him.

"Hello, Becca." He stated with as charming a smile as he could manage.

The fledgling 'Power' regarded him past a frown and a tone to match. "Oh." She stated in a perfectly flat manner. "It's you again."

"Now you see," Charly replied, keeping his smile in place. "I told you I had a feeling we'd meet again."

"It will be a short meeting at best." Becca replied. "I haven't time to waste on Mr. Black's friends."

"How do you know I'm a friend of Mr. Black?"

"I know who you are." She replied in the same bored tone. "You are Charly Misser, Mr. Black's friend."

From her tone Charly wasn't sure if the association, based on Becca's view of things, was a good thing or not. And her connecting him solely as Orion's friend left him wondering if she even knew he had once worked for Heudros himself, though it appeared not. To his knowledge, he had never seen Becca with Heudros, nor had she ever seen him before they met at the castle.

"Well," he pressed on in the same agreeable tone he had adopted with her, "you have a very good memory, Becca. Especially seeing as we've only met once...twice counting this time."

"And this will be the last time if you are wise." Came the short, curt reply.

"And why is that?"

"You waste my time." Becca bit back. "You don't know where Heudros is, so you are of not use to me."

Charly quickly spoke up as the figure in front of him began to disappear. "Ah! Now that's where you're wrong, Becca."

The figure quickly solidified again. "You know where Heudros is?"

Charly took a small step back. "Well, to be truthful, no."

The figure again began to disappear, this time with a deep scowl on her face.

"But...!" Charly quickly put in, "neither do you. But maybe we can help each other."

The figure remained as it was this time. "If neither of us knows where Heudros is," Becca stated in a tone verging on anger, "how can we help each other?"

Charly quickly held up a finger. "Just listen to me for a minute, Becca," He stated, "and think. You likely know Heudros better than anyone. You were always with him."

"That is not true." The fledgling 'Power' replied. "I stayed at the castle. Heudros held me captive here." She added, looking around her before turning her gaze back to the man before her. "That is why I destroyed it."

"Because Heudros used it to hold you?"

The woman pulled herself up straighter. "To show him that he could not." She stated firmly. "That is why I destroyed it."

"And a lovely little job you did of it too." Charly muttered before clapping his hands together as he focused his attention back on Becca. "All right, let's get back on track."

At the sound of the clap, Becca jumped back slightly, a surprised if not apprehensive look on her face.

Charly stared back at her. "What?"

Becca paused for a moment as though waiting for him to do something more. But when he continued to simply stand in front of her, she pulled herself back upright again. "Noth...nothing." She stammered. "I...I just thought you were going to cast a spell of some sort."

Charly opened his hands back up, holding them out for her to see. "By clapping my hands together? Becca, personally I don't know of any spell that requires that particular act. Surely you know that?"

Becca defiantly faced the man down. "Of course!"

But Charly merely returned a slightly bemused stare. "No you don't" He stated, as the realization dawned on him. "If fact, you don't know much about magic at all, do you?"

Becca managed a shaky laugh as she held his stare. "Don't be insane!" She stated. "Who would know more about magic than me!? I am magic! I call it, I control it, and it serves me."

Charly stood patiently staring back at her, the same bemused look on his face. But abruptly he broke out laughing. "No, you don't." He replied. "In fact, I'd be willing to bet you don't know the first thing about what you're doing when it comes to magic."

Becca stomped her foot at the man before her. "You are trying my patience, Charly Misser!"

Charly gave her a small smile in return. "Then hold onto your knickers, darlin', because it's gonna get much worse. Because I also don't think you meant to destroy the castle at all. I think the magic you called just sort of 'got away from you'. Am I right?"

"I..." Becca started, but then stopped suddenly and fell silent.

"Orion...Mr. Black thinks you meant to do it." Charly went on. "But me..., I'm not so sure anymore. I'm thinking maybe you just bit off a little more than you could chew, my girl."

A ball of light suddenly appeared in Becca's hand as she held it up. "Perhaps you would like something to chew on, Mr. Misser?" She asked with a small, menacing smile.

Instinctively Charly pulled back, knowing the ball of light, yielded properly, could likely make a crater the size of a house where he was standing. Yielded by an untrained hand, it could even more likely take out a square mile.

"That's...that's very good, Becca." Charly stated quickly. "Did Bo teach you that?"

The ball of light instantly disappeared as a genuine smile came to the woman's face. "Bo?!" She repeated. "Do you know where Bo is? Do you call Bo?"

Charly felt like he had just stepped up against a wall. "Whoa, lady!" He stated, holding up both hands. "Bo is not mine to call. He belongs to Orion...Mr. Black."

Becca gave a slight huff at the statement. "Bo does not 'belong' to anyone." She stated, the aloofness coming back into her voice as well as her stance. "He chooses to serve Mr. Black, nothing more."

Charly gave her a slightly confused look. "How do you know that?" He ask.

"Mr. Black told me." She replied matter-of-factly.

Charly decided to file the information away to consider more carefully later. From his point of view, not only didn't Becca know a great deal about magic, but she apparently didn't know too much about others of her own kind either.

"All right," He stated instead, "for right now, let's not worry about who owns who and concentrate instead on trying to get this train back on the track again. You can obviously call your magic...you 'power', right?"

Becca again produced the glowing ball of light with little effort, holding it up with a smug smile for Charly to see.

"Ok, that's very nice." Charly replied. "But can you do anything else?"

Still holding the glowing sphere up, Becca redirected her attention to the crumbled remains of the castle behind them, then turned back to Charly with an arched eyebrow.

Charly sighed quietly to himself. What this girl needed was 'focus'. "Ok. Let's try again. Becca, can you actually do anything constructive with your magic?"

The ball of light and the smug smile instantly disappeared as Becca's hand fell back to her side. "Like what?" She ask.

"Oh..., I don't know." Charly replied. "Like maybe find Heudros?"

"Heudros is hiding from me." The woman replied sardonically.

Charly gave her an exasperated sigh. "Becca, Heudros couldn't hide fleas on a dog. Finding him should be no great task for you."

Becca frowned at the statement. "I can not find him. I have tried. But he has shielded himself from me some how."

Charly considered the information. Something in her statement didn't make sense to him, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly 'what'. Becca was a creature of pure magic. How could Heudros hide himself from her? He, like any magic user, should stand out like a beacon in the dark to her.

"Or maybe he's just laying low somewhere." Charly replied finally, though seriously doubting if Heudros hid himself in a hole a mile deep it would be low enough to keep him off Becca's radar if the girl truly wanted to find him.

A sigh from in front of him drew Charly's attention back to the fledgling 'Power'.

"This is not helping me." Becca stated firmly. "You do not know where Heudros is, so you are of no use to me."

Again Becca's form began to fade as an idea suddenly struck Charly.

"Oh, that's where you're so very wrong, darlin'." He called to her vanishing form.

Right on cue, the form re-solidified. "Meaning?"

Charly adopted a more casual stance, leaning against a boulder behind him. "Becca, you can't keep going the way you are and hope to ever find Heudros. Heudros, for as lame a wizard as he is, is still a 'trained' wizard...of some ability. He knows how to use magic, my girl. While you...you treat it as some sort of parlor game with no real function in your life."

"I know how to use my magic, Charly Misser." The woman spat back at him.

"The heck you do." Charly replied firmly. "Black's eight year old could yield magic better than you."

Becca gestured to the remains of the castle again. "Can Mr. Black's eight year old do this!"

"Did you want to, Becca?" Charly ask. "I'm not denying you have power. The problem is, you don't know how to use it. And until you learn, with the all the power in the world, you won't beat Heudros."

"I don't want to 'beat' him." The woman seethed back at him.

"Then what? Kill him? You can't do that either until you find him." Charly replied. "What you need, Becca," Charly added slowly, "is 'training'."

Becca considered the suggestion as though the words themselves were foreign to her. "Training?"

"That's right. Training. Someone to teach you how to use your magic properly. My guess is Heudros never taught you how to do that." Charly continued, warming to his subject as the pieces fit together better. "It wouldn't have served his purposes to have you know too much. He gave you just enough knowledge of your heritage to make you useful to him. But not so much that you could use it against him."

The woman crossed her arms over her chest as she gave him a disdainful stare through narrowed eyes. "And who is going to give me this 'training'?" She ask, her tone matching her stance. "You?"

"Why not?"

The woman erupted into laughter. "You? A muggle? Teach me how to use magic? That is laughable, Charly Misser."

Charly deftly pulled out his wand. "Then lets go, my girl." He stated.

Becca eyed the man before her. "You are insane." She said. "I could kill you where you stand."

"Is that all you can do to defend yourself?" Charly ask, holding his wand out before him. "Is that all you can do with your magic? Kill and destroy?"

Without warning, Becca pointed a finger at the man before her. A bolt of light shot out, headed right for Charly.

But with hardly a move, the bolt was deflected, crashing into a bolder beside them.

An exasperated huff answered Charly's action. Almost immediately another bolt flew towards him, followed by several more, all aimed at different areas of the man's body.

Charly deflected each spell with ease. If the girl was really this bad, he was doing her a favor with this exercise.

But he still realized he had to be careful. Making his point he was literally playing with fire. From what he had learned of Becca from Orion, she had as poor of a grip on her temper as she did on her magical abilities. Push her too far and he could end up a smoking crater.

After several minutes, the spells stopped as, to Charly's surprise, a very tired and frustrated Becca stood facing him.

"You are not fighting fair!" She demanded.

"What? Because I won't lay down and die for you?" Charly replied. Taking advantage of her dropped guard, he fired off a spell of his own.

The bolt of light found it's mark in Becca's upper arm, causing her to cry out from the pain as she grabbed the wounded area.

Two dark, angry eyes looked back up at him from under a set brow.

"You hurt me." She stated in a low, dangerous tone from between clenched teeth.

Charly figured he had made his point and it was time to let the fledgling 'Power' stew over her new lesson for a while.

"And had I been intent on doing you real harm, Becca," Charly answered quickly, "I wouldn't have stopped. What if that hit was just the first of thirty more, all coming at you so fast you didn't have time to stop and nurse your wounds? What if I had used a stronger spell? Are you listening to me, girl?" He added firmly. "No, I don't fight fair. And someone intent on harming you won't either.

Becca, you're a sitting target for anyone old enough to hold a wand. Do you understand me? And if you're going to live in this realm, you had best learn to defend yourself a lot better than just killing everything that offends you. Because here, that isn't always the answer. And usually, it just makes things worse."

Becca stared back at him, and thankfully, on some level, Charly felt he was getting through to her.

"Do you want to be someone's servant again, Becca? Do you want people to use and abuse you again? If not, then you had best start to learn what magic can really do. Knowledge is power here, Becca. Remember that."

The woman was literally seething in fury. "Leave now, and I may yet let you live, Charly Misser."

Charly pulled his wand back down, trying to appear as non-threatening as he could, but still be able to defend himself if Becca patience with his lesson ran out.

"You remember what I told you, Becca." Charly advised her. "You need to learn. If you don't, you'll die, and then you'll never have your revenge on Heudros."

"Leave!"

Charly pulled back a few steps, pulling a small blue stone out of his pocket as he did so.

"Call me when you're ready to learn." He stated, and quickly vanished.

Becca stood for several moments staring at where the man had last stood.

She could have killed him easily enough, but his words had rung with a certain truth for her. He was right. She didn't know a great deal about how to yield magic. Not so that it truly served her purposes. The fact that Heudros was able to hide so easily from her was proof enough of that.

The man was right. She needed teaching. Training. Someone to show her how to make magic serve her better.

"But not you." She whispered to the empty space before her. "I will find someone, Charly Misser. But it will not be you."

But with that said, Becca found the question facing her now, was who?

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack:

****

Huh I bet the reason Charley doesn't want Orion on the case is because he doesn't want him to find out about his extra curricular activities. Sneaky man would have been in Slytherin.  
And no I wasn't refering to that poor excuse for an interpratation of the third book. Where I have to ask myself did the film makers even read it? (Getting down off my high horse) No I was talking about the scars Arabella could feel in chapter 16 of Family Life.  
Good luck with your surgery, looking forward to the next chapter.

Actually, you're not far off. Charly currently doesn't know exactly where things stand all around. So he's doing the best thing he can right now. Insulating himself and trying to stay low.

Wow! Past story references! I don't get those very often! And a good point, too!

As the authoress, I can only suggest that if Sirius did inquire about the scars on his back, Orion and the doctor's would have had an answer ready. Bad car accident, surgery of some sort, sporting accident...that sort of thing.

Thank you, Dear. As for how the surgery went, unfortunately it did not go well. For an update, see my Author's page.

Silverfox:

****

Ah, but isn't being Bo much better than a measly little ghost? ;)  
checks quickly that tail is still there All fine, just a little wet.  
What exactly has Orion told Sirus about his job - or those of the rest of the family? I suppose Harry is easy, he's still in school, but Auror and Death Eater and the like are suspiciously magical jobs ...  
I agree with ilovesiriusblack that Sirius is probably going to go snooping around the basement sometime soon. He always has been curious and I suspect will get bored even faster than Harry who's had to earn how to pass time in dark cupboards very early on in his life.

I can not argue that point at all.

Well, I'm sure it's dry by now, Dear. If not, you have problems. For one, the fur is WAY too thick.

Well, Orion is currently hiding behind a wall of ambiguity. What little Sirius has been told is simply that Orion works in law enforcement and has taken some time off to care for his younger brother until Sirius is more settled with things.

Harry actually is sitting on the cusp of needing to be back at school. But for now safely assume he has an excused absence.

Oh yes indeed. Don't think for a minute Sirius is being a good little boy, sitting on his bed and behaving himself, as chapters in the future will show. (Is that saying too much?)

MasterLupin:

****

So Sirius still has unconscious knowledge of his auror training... hmm... I think that give credence to the idea that they are going about treating Sirius all wrong. They should be emerging him in his former life, magic, Harry, Bella.

It's not so much he has unconscious knowledge of it, Dear. It's more just innate ability and his, yes, perhaps unconscious need, to put it to some use.

Right or wrong, Orion is doing what he thinks is best. He is trying first to sort out just how much of Sirius' life is a total mystery to him, and then working from there.

Orion knows, for Sirius to have any sort of life with family and friends still intact, he will eventually have to be told the truth.

How and when that happens is something that has to be very carefully chosen.

Lexa:

****

Post another chapter. I need to know what happens next. I feel so sorry for Sirius. He's my favorite character! Great stories. I've read all of them in this series. Can't wait till you post more. Keep up the amazing work

Sorry for the delay, Dear. See the Author's page for a very good reason.

As I have often said, 'Well, who doesn't like Sirius!?'.

All of them? Well, bless you, Dear. You made PAR happy.

All reviews are as of 09/21/2008.

And remember;

For updates on when I will likely be posting next, see the Author's page.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER SEVEN: RICHARD**

Becca sat on a large stone next to the remains of the castle, staring intently at a smaller rock laying on the ground before her.

Pointing her finger at it, a bolt of light flashed towards the small rock. Instantly it broke into several smaller pieces.

Becca gave a depressed sigh as her head fell forward onto her knees.

"You were suppose to become a plate!" She wailed. "Why aren't you a plate?"

She gave another depressed little sigh as she rested her chin on her knees and stared down at the rock fragments.

Charly Misser had said she needed a teacher. Someone to help her better control her magic.

At first she had scoffed at his suggestion. Why would she, a creature who was magic, need someone to teach her how to use it?

Besides, she could do magic. She had destroyed the castle. That took a lot of magic.

But the more she thought about it, and the more she thought about that irritating little man's words, the more Becca came to realize some not too pleasant facts.

The most important one was that she hadn't wanted to destroy the castle. The castle was safety. Home. Security. She hadn't wanted to destroy it at all. All she had wanted was Heudros. And when Mr. Black wouldn't give him to her, she had gotten....angry. And she had brought all her power to bear on achieving one goal. Getting Heudros.

But Mr. Black had enlisted the aid of his boggart. And he had taken all of them beyond her grasp.

That was when she had felt it. She hadn't realized it at first. But the more she thought about it, the more she remembered the 'feeling'. The magic slipping from her control. Suddenly it became harder to manage. Harder to control.

Something in it had changed. It had become.....wilder.

The best she had hoped for was to escape the destruction herself.

Now she was once more staring at the evidence of the truth. That one undeniable piece of proof Charly Misser was right.

She could do magic. But she couldn't do it well. She could accomplish the grand scale things. But 'simple magic' was beyond her skills.

She needed a teacher. But who?

Mr. Black would have been a good teacher.

His boggart would have been even better.

Becca gave a small smile to the thought. She liked Bo. He was kind and patient. He was like her. A creature of magic. And he had seemed so very interested in being friends.

She wished she had been able to understand his language. That she could have talked to him when Heudros had made her capture him and hold him prisoner. Although Becca honestly felt she didn't so much 'hold Bo prisoner' as did he stay simply to satisfy some curiosity of his own about her. He had wanted to talk to her. And he had tried desperately to communicate with her. But she didn't understand the meaning of the gestures he used to talk and his hands simply moved to quickly for her to even make a guess.

Becca looked down at the fragments of her failed attempt at 'simple magic'. Bo could have taught her how to turn a rock into a plate.

Maybe she was just trying to hard. Putting too much magic into her attempt.

Reaching down, she picked up another rock and held it up in front of her and concentrated on it.

"A plate." She stated in a low, firm voice as she pointed her finger at the rock and concentrated on a small, flat, white plate. "You are a plate. A plate. A plate. A plate."

A small bolt of light flashed from the tip of her finger at the rock, erupting in a small explosion of light before dissipating.

In it's wake it left a rock with a large black spot on one side of it.

Biting her anger back behind clenched teeth, Becca threw the rock as hard as she could. Not caring where it went, as long as it was away from her.

"Hey! Careful!"

Becca nearly fell off the stone she was seated on as she spun about to face the voice.

Standing not quite behind her, but just out of her field of vision, was a young man, holding the rock she had thrown.

Becca tried her best to appear both unconcerned but threatening as she watched the stranger turn the rock she had thrown about in his hand.

"Well, I may not be an authority," the man commented casually as he looked over the rock with great interest, "but that looks like a rock to me. Not a plate."

Becca set her expression in as unfriendly a look as she could manage. So, not only had the stranger witnessed her failed attempt, he was going to mock her with it! "Who are you?!" She demanded. "What are you doing here!?"

The young man smiled at her. "My, you're a friendly one, aren't you?" He commented.

Becca hardened her features even more. "And you haven't answered my question. Who are you?"

The young man gave her a warm smile. "Well, technically, you ask two questions. One, who am I." He stated. "And my name is Richard. And secondly, you ask what I'm doing here, and I suppose much the same as you are."

"You have no idea what I'm doing here." Becca stated.

"You're looking for Heudros." The man replied in the same calm, steady voice as he tossed the stone in his hand. "And since so am I, maybe I can help."

Becca eyed the man suspiciously. Charly Misser had indicated he might know where Heudros was at first, too.

But he had lied.

Becca lifted her head as she stuck out her chin. "You don't know where Heudros is." She stated.

The young man smiled again. "True, since if I knew where he was, I wouldn't be looking for him, now, would I?" He replied cordially.

"What is it you want?" Becca ask firmly, making sure to keep a good distance between them.

"I told you. To help you."

Becca scoffed at him. "You can not help me." She answered.

Pausing in his tossing of the stone, the young man once more glanced over it before turning his attention back to her. "I beg to differ." He replied. In an instant, the rock turned into a small, flat, white plate. "I think I can be of great help to you."

Becca hid her surprise behind a mask of indifference. So the man was a wizard. But if the man thought that was going to impress her, he needed to think again. All that did was raise her suspicion level of his true motives and heighten her irritation with him. In her opinion, he was doing nothing more than wasting her time, and trying to make a fool out of her while he was at it.

"I have no need or want of your 'help'." She answered firmly. "Now go, while you still can."

The young man gave her a short, low laugh. "Or what?" He ask.

Becca gave an irritated sigh. This one was simply asking to be a pile of ashes. And she was all too happy to oblige him in the matter.

Pulling her hand back as a ball of fire quickly came to life in her palm, Becca heaved the fiery missile at the stranger, infusing it with as much power as she felt she could safely spare at the moment.

But as the flaming sphere approached the young man, he deftly reached out and intercepted it, catching it in his other hand and bringing it to a stop before swinging it in front of him and holding it up for her to see.

"I can help you, Becca." He stated. "But you have to want it."

Oh magic!  
Becca quickly jumped off the stone she was still sitting on, pulling her shields around her as she had learned to do when something threatened her.

This wasn't just another wizard.

This was another 'Power'!

"You will stay back!" She demanded as forcefully as she could, pointing a threatening finger at the man even as she took several steps away from him.

But for all of her actions, the young man simply stood staring at her with a bemused look on his face.

"I wasn't aware I was approaching you." He replied, turning briefly to the ball of fire he still held in his hand. It burned a bright white light for a second, then dissolved into nothing. "I have no intention of harming you, Becca." He stated, turning back to her as the plate he was still holding returned to its former state. "I only want to help you."

"You can not help me." Becca replied firmly.

"I think I can."

Becca brought all the force she had to bear and put it into the shields around her. If she couldn't out-fight the stranger, she could at least protect herself.

"Why are you so defensive?" Richard ask. "I told you I mean you no harm."

"And I have found it is very easy for people to say one thing and do another." Becca replied. "So why do you not save both of us a great deal of time and trouble and just tell me what it is you want?"

The man gave a heavy sigh. "I have been watching you." He replied finally. "I watched you talking with the muggle pretender. I listened to what he said to you. And I've been watching you these past several days, Becca. And sadly, I have to agree with what that so-called wizard told you. You need help with your magic. You need someone to teach you."

Becca narrowed her eyes at man. "You, I suppose? Another self-proclaimed teacher for me?"

The man sighed again. "Becca, did I not just tell you I have been watching you for several days? If I had meant you harm, don't you realize I could well have done it by now? You've been so fixed on trying to do these little tricks of yours," he added, tossing the stone back to her, "you haven't even noticed me about."

Becca didn't make any attempt to answer his claim as she caught the stone in both hands, but realized he was right. Richard had already proved he had indeed been watching her, since he knew she had talked with Charly Misser, and he knew what she had been doing since then. And he had, indeed, also made no attempt to harm her, though he very likely could have caught her very unaware, as hard as she had been concentrating on her 'studies'.

"What is it you want?" She ask again, tilting her head slightly to one side.

Once more the man sighed, turning his gaze upwards as he shook his head slightly. "You have, without a doubt, the shortest attention span of anyone I have ever met." He answered. "I want to help you, Becca."

"Why?"

"Well, for one, because you need it." He replied. "And secondly, because as you are, you are just a sitting target for people like Heudros. Someone who would recognize the potential of what you can do for them, and will abuse you to get that power. You don't want to end up someone's slave again, do you, Becca?"

Becca stared at the stone in her hands for a few seconds before turning her eyes slowly back to the man in front of her.

"And if I were to agree to what you say, that I have need of a teacher...what then?"

"Are you agreeing to it?"

"No!" Becca stated quickly. "I am only saying 'What if I agreed?'. Then what?"

The man shook his head. "That's not how things are, Becca. I'm not wasting my time with a lot of 'what if's' from you. If you want my help, fine." He stated, fanning his arms out to either side. "Here I am. But before I commit to that, you have to want it. Before I agree to help you, Becca, you have to ask for it. Until you do, you get nothing from me."

"Ask for it?" Becca replied.

The man nodded.

"And if I don't?"

Richard folded his arms across his chest. "Then I leave and you can go back to practicing on stones. I couldn't care less."

Becca stared back at the man, saying nothing.

"I'll tell you what." Richard said finally. "You think about it, all right. And I'll be back here tomorrow, at this time. If you want my help, and you're willing to ask for it, then you be here too. If not," he stated, giving her a small wave, "then it's been fun, and have a nice life."

Before Becca could say anything in reply, the man vanished.

**Q&A**

ilovesiriusblack:

**Why doesn't Becca simply call for Bo? I mean if an ordinary wizard stands out like a beacon surely he would stand out like a small country on fire? I wouldn't like to think who Becca will ask to help her. I'm hoping she isn't stupid enough to use Voldemort although it could be ammusing if she decided to ask Sirius after all Voldemort did look like him the last time they met.  
I'm sorry to hear that your surgery didn't go well, I hope you have better luck next time around. I will definately be looking for that update in November.**

Because Becca isn't sure of Bo. I mean, as you see in this chapter, Becca is naturally suspicious of her own kind. Her 'people' are not social beings, (a theme that will mentioned several times in this story). So without a lot of socialization or contact with her own kind (basically 'none', really), why would she trust them?

Yes, indeed, without precautions Bo would be just a bonfire in the night to any magical being looking for that kind of energy. But Bo isn't quite as naive as some people think he is, and he has adapted ways to shield himself.

Right now Becca hates the idea of asking anyone for help. She's just now starting to cozy up to the idea that maybe she really does need some. But it's baby-steps for her. First she has to know there's a problem, then acknowledge it, think it over for a few days, calculate possible solutions...one's that don't involve anyone dying in the process........you get the idea.

Actually, believe it or not, Becca would not go to Voldemort. She doesn't like him. In Voldemort she sees an extension of Heudros. Someone who uses others to further themselves.

For a surgery update, see the Author's Page.

Lexa:

**Good chapter...but it didn't have Sirius in it lol. I don't know if I trust Becca yet. Can't wait until there are more chapters. I want to know how this is going to continue. Keep up the great work! *thumbs up***

Bad news, Dear. The next five chapters or so will not have a lot of Sirius in them. But after that, the story centers back on him. After all, I can't leave him as he is.

Whether or not Becca is a person to trust or not remains to be seen. But I will say that currently she's just so frickin' naive, you want to slap her sometimes.

Silverfox:

**"Don't think for a minute Sirius is being a good little boy, sitting on his bed and behaving himself, as chapters in the future will show. (Is that saying too much?)"  
Nah, just stating the obvious. After all we all know Sirius. ;)  
Poor Becca, so helpless ... *gulp* ... She's a lot less accomplished than Bo than I originally thought, not just less experienced in the material world.**

So true, Dear.

Becca deserves a bit of pity, that is true. Though she wouldn't admit or accept it to save her life.

Becca is so far removed from Bo experience and accomplishment-wise, Dear, they are practically on different planets. Keep in mind, Bo has been in our realm for several generations passing of Orion's family.

Becca is essentially 15 years old.

In a fight (should it ever come to that) there is little question here who would win.

All reviews are as of 11/16/2008.

And remember;

If you want to know what's been up with me since we last talked, see my Author's Page.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER EIGHT: MAKING NEW FRIENDS?**

The next day Becca stood once more next to the remains of the castle.

Weeks had past since she had destroyed her prison, and she loathed coming back here each day. But this place seemed to her to be her only link to ever finding Heudros. Somehow she hoped that something in the rubble would help lead her to him.

That was, until yesterday.

Now there was a new avenue open to her in her search. Another 'Power', who, for whatever reasons, also seemed interested in finding Heudros. Although not nearly as much as she was, Becca had observed. To this 'Richard' the task seemed more as an idle past-time. While to her it was her life driving force at the moment.

But why? What possible interest could this 'Richard' have in Heudros?

That, Becca sternly told herself, was what had brought her back to this place today. Not because over the past weeks it had become her daily routine. Not because she had consented to the possibility that she needed help with her magic, and this 'Richard' had said he could teach her what she needed to know.

No. She was determined to find out what Heudros was to this 'Richard', and why he was interested in finding him.

Becca wrapped her arms about herself as her body gave a small shiver. It had rained the night before and now the area around the castle's rubble was not only cold, but damp as well.

For all the time she had spent serving Heudros, she found he had taught her painfully little about the world outside the walls of the castle.

It was cold out here. And damp. And she had quickly found she hated cold. And she hated damp even worse. And the outside world seemed to always be one or the other. Not at all like her rooms in the castle. They had always been warm, lit by cheerful fires. And food had always been plentiful. She had never had to worry about when her next meal would be. The fare wasn't always the best, but at least it was there.

Now she had very little idea when she would eat next. Most of her food came from things she found around her. Water from a nearby stream, berries from shrubs, and a small fruit tree she had found growing wild. Occasionally she would conjure something up, but it took a considerable amount of time and concentration for her to achieve the desired results. And usually those results were less than palatable.

Oh, how she wished she had been able to talk to Mr. Black!

Looking up as a rumble of thunder caught her attention, Becca remembered clearly the day she had last seen him. She had been talking to an annoying Charly Misser when Mr. Black had suddenly shown up from around a corner of the castle's rubble.

But from the look on his face and the tone of his voice, Becca didn't think he was anywhere near forgiving her for the things he saw her responsible for. And so she had beat a hasty retreat, apparating back to the small cave where she currently lived.

She wondered if he would ever be willing to help her.

"Well, I see you came." A voice interrupted her thoughts, reminding her that she now had other options open to her for 'help'.

Becca turned slowly to face the other 'Power'. She didn't much like the fact that this 'Richard' seemed intent on always approaching her from behind. Mr. Black had said to never turn your back on your enemies. And until she knew his intentions better, to Becca, this 'Richard' was an enemy.

But how did you not turn your back on your enemy when they are forever approaching you from behind?

Becca took a defensive pose as she crossed her arms in front of her. Best to let the other be weary of her. Keep him guessing as to her true abilities until she knew more about his own.

"You're offer.....was intriguing." She replied simply. "I felt it was in my interest to learn more."

"A wise choice indeed." Richard answered with a warming smile.

"But first," Becca cut his enthusiasm off quickly, "I want you to answer a question for me. Several actually."

The other 'Power' fanned his arms out. "Seems fair. Ask away."

"Why do you want to find Heudros?" Becca ask plainly. "Do you want to kill him?"

Richard seemed to give the question a good deal of consideration before answering her.

"I'm not really sure what I want to do with him once I find him." He finally replied. "I suppose that will depend on what mood I'm in. 'Why' I want him is a reason you yourself may be uniquely able to understand."

"Me?"

Richard gave her small, bemused smile. "Yes. You see, Becca, once, a long time ago, I also served the illustrious Heudros. Like you, I was his.....servant."

Becca couldn't even begin to keep the surprise out of her voice. "You.....served Heudros!?"

"A mistake. I came to see that eventually." He replied. "One I am seeking to correct."

Becca's mouth turned into a deep frown. "But that doesn't explain why you want to find him, or to help me." She stated. "Or is this a trade to you? You do something for me and then you feel I should help you find Heudros? Or turn him over to you if I find him first?"

Richard gave her a slow, throaty laugh. "My, my, but you are the suspicious one, aren't you?"

"I find it is wise to be suspicious of others and their motives, since they are rarely what people present them to be."

"Well, you have no need to be suspicious of me, Becca. If anything, I am the one person you should trust."

This time it was Becca who laughed. But her's carried with it the distinct air of sarcasm.

"And why exactly should I trust you?" She ask.

"Because we're the same, you and I." Richard answered. "We come from the same place." He fixed a firm stare on her, his smile disappearing behind a grim line. "We were summoned by the same person, Becca. So we already have a great deal in common. The only difference being, I am older than you."

Becca's brow lowered into a frown again. "Older?" She stated.

"Well, not by much." Richard admitted with a small smile. "Likely only a few years at best. But still older. But you see, Heudros wasn't satisfied with me." The young man continued, a definite tinge of displeasure creeping into his voice. "He said I didn't have enough power to suit his needs, and that he would call another." Richard gave her another small smile. "And I see he did."

Becca simply stood staring at the man before her. So Heudros had not been satisfied with this 'Richard' because he didn't feel he had enough power to be useful to him. That, she felt, was information to remember.

But even as she tucked the information away, she focused on Richard's other revelation. "Heudros.....Heudros called you? Before me?"

"Indeed." The young man continued to smile at her. "I suppose in a manner of speaking, that makes me your older brother, Becca."

"Brother?" Becca said the word as though it were a foreign language to her.

"Yes. We're family, you and I. We both came from the same place, called by the same person. And 'family' is how I would like to think of you."

"Like....a sister." Becca reasoned out.

The man rewarded her with a pleased smile. "Exactly. And when we find our 'father', we can both deal with him, all right?"

Becca snapped herself out of her thoughts, a hard frown creasing her brow again. "I still do not trust you." She stated firmly.

"Well, that's fair, I suppose." He answered. "Trust, after all, is best when it is earned. So I will gladly work to earn yours, Becca. But you have to do something for me, too."

Becca fixed a hard stare on the man. "What?"

"Well, I can't very well earn your trust if you don't let me, now can I?" He ask. "And I think the best way for you to do that is to let me do what I have offered. To help you learn to better control your magic. That way, you'll be learning something useful, and I can show you that you have nothing to fear from me."

Becca considered the offer. It certainly sounded reasonable.

"I suppose that makes sense." She replied slowly.

The other 'Power' held up a finger. "That doesn't sound very certain, Becca. You're still holding back here. And that simply won't do if I'm to teach you anything. You letting me earn that trust has to start somewhere and I think this is as good a place as any."

"Place?"

"Yes. You're showing a little bit of trust in me, Becca."

The brow furrowed again. "How?"

Richard gave her a small smile. "By showing me you truly want my help, little sister. Because I'm not keen on wasting my time if I'm the only one giving anything here."

"So what do I have to do?"

"You have to acknowledge that you want me to help you, Becca. And you have to acknowledge that you believe that I can help you. Otherwise you'll never have any faith in me at all."

"All right." Becca stated flatly. "I accept that you can help me."

The other 'Power' gave her one of his low, rumbling laughs. "It's not that easy, Becca. Giving trust never is."

"Well what do you want then?" Becca ask in exasperation. "A contract signed in blood?"

Richard laughed again. "Nothing so dramatic, I assure you." He replied. "No. Just your understanding that I can help you, Becca. But you have to want it."

Becca stared back at the man.

Richard gave her another small smile, but one without one ounce of warmth in it. "You have to ask for it, Becca."

Becca stared at the other 'Power' in disbelief.

"That's it?!" She asked. "You want me to 'ask' you to help me learn magic?"

Richard nodded in answer.

Becca threw her arms up. "Fine. I want you to help me learn magic." She recited dutifully.

Richard crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, come now, Becca." He stated. "Could you have made that sound any less sincere if you had honestly tried?"

Becca frowned at the man. But she took a deep breath and this time, with her hands clasp firmly in front of her, she worked to temper her tone a bit more. "All right. You are right, and I am sorry. That was not very sincere." Becca took a breath, then tried again. "I would very much like for you to help me learn to use my magic."

"Richard." The man added.

Becca met his stare for a moment. This seemed to her more like some game he was playing for some private amusement. But what exactly he found entertaining about it, she wasn't sure.

Taking another slow breath, she tried once more. "I would very much like for you to help me learn to use my magic....., Richard."

The man face broke into an immediate smile. "There now! Was that so hard?"

'Hard', no, Becca thought. But 'foolish' was rapidly gaining ground.

"Now what?" She ask.

Richard reached out his hand towards her.

"Just close your eyes, and take my hand, Becca."

Becca gave a disgruntled sound at the instructions, but did as she was told.

The minute her hand touched his, the other 'Power' clasp her's in a tight grip, and in the next instant, they both disappeared.

Q&A

MasterLupin:

**an interesting turn of events. So there is another power, bringing our total now to three, a very commonly used number authoritatively to illustrate any number of things. Or might there be a fourth power and in them the makings of the four horsemen.**

Again let me say, this is what I like about you, Dear. You keep me on my toes.

Sadly, I do have to say though, that while your line is in the right pond, you've got the wrong end of your pole.

In other words, you're close, but you're not quite there yet.

The problem is, you're looking for WAY too much symbolism here. I don't usually do symbolism. To many restrictions when you start that.

Try this instead. Is there another 'Power'? Well, do you honestly think Heudros was the first person to manage a proper 'calling' of a 'Power'? (Considering Bo, obviously not.) But if two people managed it, why not someone else? And if so, where are they, and where is the 'Power' they called?

Silverfox:

**Careful of people who don't want to tell you the price of something until you've agreed to buy, Becca. Though she does seem to understand that much. Maybe she isn't a completely hopeless case.  
What I meant last time is that I thought Becca had the same understanding of magic as Bo has, but lacked any idea of the world around her that would give her a clue how to react to events. It was only last chapter that I realised that her understanding of magic itself is so limited. (15 years is more than enough time to learn to use your body and what it can and can't do after all and Becca seemed to be quite capable when Heudros first sent her to meet Orion.)**

You pack a lot of stuff into a few sentences, Dear.

Is Becca a hopeless case? Depends on your definition. Currently she's the equivalent of a five year old child poised for a major hissy fit...while holding a .357.

Something that does not escape Richard one bit.

Becca's understanding of magic isn't so much 'limited', Dear, as lacking control. She can do magic. She's more than proved that. But she never considered herself the source of any great magical power. Now she realizes that she, and not Heudros, was the one truly doing all the magic all those years, and she's having a bit of trouble wrapping her self-esteem around that concept.

Fifteen years might be enough time to learn about your body under normal circumstances. But Becca has had anything but. Plus, she just had one major missing piece of information dumped on her that she is still trying to sort out properly.

The reason Becca seemed quite capable in her initial meeting with Orion (and any others along the way) was because she was being so tightly controlled she was practically reading from a script. She said what Heudros told her to say, when he told her to say it, and how to say it. The poor girl barely had two original ideas to keep each other company under Heudros' rule.

Now she's out in the cold, cruel world all by herself, with no one to help or advise her or tell her what to say or when to sleep or when to eat.........the girl's got a lot to deal with suddenly.

Then, poof! Out of a cloud of smoke comes someone who says 'I'll help you! I'll show you all the good things you're missing and keep you safe from all the bad things that can hurt you.'

Pretty good deal as far as Becca's concerned. Someone is going to take away all that confusing stuff she doesn't want to deal with or even know how (called DLS - Daily Living Skills), and let her go back to being her pretty much self-absorbed little self.

ilovesiriusblack:

**So happy to find a new chapter even though I am supposed to be revising. A neww power hmm wonder where he came from, he seems a whole lot less naieve (sp?) than Bo. He definately wants something in return, I don't think it wil end well should Becca decide to trust him. No sirius for 3 chapters sigh never mind. Glad to see your feeling better and looking forward to the next chapter.**

Revising 'what', Dear?

Well, a lot about the new 'Power' was answered in this chapter. Or at least as much as he wants Becca to know about him right now.

Less naive than Bo? Wellllllll....., maybe. How naive the boggart is is really something I prefer that readers decide on for themselves.

Perhaps, Dear. But what the other 'Power' may or may not want out of this arrangement is a large part of the story. So I can't really say much on that subject.

Call it a 'learning experience'. She needs a few if she's ever to get past just being someone's doormat.

Nope. No Sirius. But when he returns it will be with his usual flare, trust me.

All reviews are as of 11/27/2008.

And remember;

So far, so good in the PAR family. Both my mom and me seem to be recovering from our respective medical problems and progressing nicely. In fact, she's doing better than me right now.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: My apologies for the delay. I have been locked out of my account since late December, 2008 due to a password issue.

As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER NINE: A NEW HOME**

Feeling the magic surround her, Becca instantly opened her eyes, ready to pull up her shields and take any defensive action necessary.

But as soon as her eyes focused on the scene around her, all thoughts of defense disappeared.

An awe inspired "Ohhh!" was all she could think to say.

Where she had been standing in the cold, damp forest next to the remains of her one-time home, Becca instantly recognized the feeling of comfortable warmth surrounding her. And rather than standing out in the open, she now found herself in a large, stone hall, standing before a roaring fire that seemed to be able to heat every corner of the expansive room.

Turning about, Becca took in the room with wide-eyed wonder. It was absolutely beautiful. The marble floor was polished to such a shine that she could see her face reflected in it. Large grey stones made up the walls, which seemed to stretch up into a brilliant blue sky with soft, white clouds floating by.

Becca stared at the ceiling in wonder. "You don't have a roof?" She ask.

The other 'Power' gave a small, low laugh. "That's not the real sky, Becca." He explained. "It's just a spell. Something that makes you think you're seeing the sky outside. But if you would like...." he added, and with a wave of his hand, the illusion suddenly changed. Gone was the brilliant, bright blue sky, replaced by a cold, dark one with grey clouds. "....this is what the outside sky actually looks like."

Becca stared at the ceiling, watching as drops fell from the clouds, hitting what seemed to be an invisible barrier above them and roll in tiny rivulets off to either side.

"Why aren't we getting wet?" She ask.

"Because I placed a barrier between us and the outside." Richard explained patiently. "An 'invisible roof', if you like. It keeps out the cold and the rain while allowing us to see what the day is outside."

Becca continued to stare at the ceiling in wonder. "Can I do that?" She ask finally in a awed tone.

Richard smiled behind her at the question. "If you like.....after you've had a bit of training." The other 'Power' reached out and slowly turned her about to face him. "Once I've taught you what you need to know, Becca," he told her with the same, small smile, "there is nothing you won't be able to do. This world will be little more than a toy for you to play with. To shape to your desires. Just think of that. You can make it anything you want. Anything you can imagine. All by magic."

Becca stared up at him. "I want to learn now." She stated. "I want you to start teaching me now." She pointed to the ceiling. "I want to learn to do that."

Richard gave her a genuinely pleased laugh. "My, you are the ambitious one, little sister." He said. "And I'm happy to see you so eager to learn. But Becca," he added, turning to the ceiling for a moment, "that is very strong magic. And it takes time to acquire that sort of magic. That 'control'."

"Control?" Becca ask with a confused look.

"Magic without control, Becca," Richard explained, "is simply a disaster waiting to happen. Do you remember the rock you were trying to change into a plate?"

Becca nodded stiffly. She didn't like being reminded of her failures.

"What if that rock was the ceiling, and you tried to change it into what I have, so you could see out? What do you think would happen?"

Becca stared up at him without answering.

"You'd end up with a pile of rocks on that pretty little head of yours." Richard supplied.

Becca's expression shifted to one of disbelief. "Pretty?" She asked incredulously. "You think I'm pretty?"

Genuine surprise lit the man's face. "Of course! Or have you honestly never taken a good look at yourself?"

Becca gave the question some thought. "I never really considered what I looked like." She answered. "It served nothing how I looked."

Richard gave a loud, uproarious laugh. "Nothing?!" He stated. "My dear sister, you're looks serve everything in this realm. Something I am sure did not escape our dear 'father'."

Becca tilted her head slightly. "Serve? Serve what? What possible use was it to Heudros what I looked like?"

"I am sure it was of a great use to him." Richard replied. "As am I sure he used your appearance to his best advantage. Becca," he said, framing her face with his hands, "you are a very beautiful woman. And no one encountering you would think you were any more danger to them than what you appeared to be. Just an innocent lamb. Something I am sure Heudros planned when he called you to this form. You're appearance keeps people off guard. Sort of a mask, hiding the real power you hold."

Becca frowned at the explanation. "I don't understand."

Richard gave her a small smile as he released her. "It doesn't matter." He replied. "I'll show you. As you learn, I'll teach you how to use your looks as well as your magic to win the upper hand against your enemies. And you'll find it can be just as effective a weapon."

The frown remained as Richard took her hand and led her from the room. Heudros had never used her appearance as any weapon. In fact, he had seemed to ignore her looks more than anything. He had been interested in her magic, not her appearance.

Becca found herself being led through corridor after corridor as Richard showed her about his home. To her it seemed the house never ended, or at the least was impossibly large.

"Doesn't your house attract attention?" She ask finally as Richard led her down another expansive hallway.

"Why should it?"

"Because it must cover a great deal of land." Becca replied, nearly running directly into the other 'Power' as he pulled to a sudden stop and turned to face her.

"Becca, this house can be anything I want it to be." He said. "And the outside is not necessarily reminiscent of what lies on the inside. This house could be a cardboard box in a back alleyway if I wished it."

Becca considered the statement for a moment. "Well, then how large is it on the outside?" She ask.

Richard gave a small laugh. "It's large enough. I like large houses both inside and out." He replied as he turned and continued down the hallway. "You'll like the outside area. It's large enough to afford us our privacy and also give you plenty of room to explore things in a safer environment."

"Outside is cold and wet." Becca answered miserably. "I like nothing about it."

"You'll like it here." Richard assured her. "And as for it being 'cold and wet', soon you can have any sort of day you like. Warm and sunny, cool with a breeze. Make it snow if you want. Anything at all."

Becca was about to ask him another question when they walked past a set of large oak doors sealing off what appeared to be yet another wing of the house.

Becca pulled abruptly to a stop. "What's back here?" She ask, reaching out to try the door.

But Richard grabbed her arm before she reached the handle and forced it down.

"You're not to go there." He stated firmly.

Becca turned to him, her expression questioning and suspicious. "Why not?"

The same pleasant smile answered her. "Because those are my rooms, Becca. And I like my privacy. So I would ask that you leave this one area of my house to me. You can go anywhere else in the house you desire. But not through those doors."

Becca paused for a moment, but finally gave a small nod.

"So," she ask, tossing back her hair from her face, "do I have 'rooms' in the house as well?"

"Of course. Would you like to see them?"

With a quick nod, Becca found herself led down an opposite corridor, with Richard eventually stopping outside of a small wooden door. With a great deal of flourish, he pushed it open.

A smile already on her face, Becca prepared herself to be met with the same opulence for her own rooms as seemed to characterize the rest of Richard's house. But instead she found herself nearly jumping for the door as it swung open on rushed, cracked hinges, sure the fragile looking thing was going to crash to the floor.

Satisfied the door was going to hold on for at least a few moments longer, Becca turned her attention finally to the rooms beyond.

Or in this case, to the 'room'.

At the site of it her smile immediately fell.

Beyond the creaking, rustic door lay an even more abysmal room. Or more like a closet. The room barely fit the single, worn bed-frame that sat pushed against one damp stone wall. The large uneven stones that made up the floor were equally wet, with a small trace of light from the single, narrow window reflecting on them.

To Becca the room looked more like a cell then the room she had envisioned Richard would give her.

As if to complete the scene, the worn door gave a final creaking pop and fell off the top supporting hinges, landing with a thud against the wall behind it.

Turning to Richard, Becca gave him a puzzled look.

"I don't understand." She stated.

Richard returned her look. "What is there to not understand, Becca? Don't you like your room?"

Becca turned back to the small, stone room. "Truthfully," she replied, turning back to face him, "No, I do not."

Richard gave her a small, knowing smile. "Well then, change it." He answered. "This is your first lesson, Becca." He continued, turning her back to face the room. "This is your room until you learn to change it. I felt that would give you plenty of incentive to work on your skills."

"But I have incentive!" Becca stated in dismay. "I don't need to be stuck in a cold, damp cell to learn a lesson!"

"Discomfort is a great teacher, Becca." Richard replied. "The more uncomfortable we are the more inclined we are to try and improve our circumstances." With a solid shove he sent her into the room. "This is your room until you learn to change it."

With a flourish of his hand, Richard set the door back firmly on now new hinges and swung it shut with a resounding slam.

"Enjoy your lesson, little sister." He added before turning and walking off down the corridor.

**Q&A**

ilovesiriusblack:

**I'm supposed to be revising for my final year physics exams.  
I don't trust Richard. Looks to me like he just wants to control her nearly as much as Heudros did. And how come Roland never mentioned him?  
Hmm who else could have raised a power? Dumbledore, Grindelwald, Orin Bale or possibly the mysterious Eric.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.**

Physics. See, I can spell that word.

But that's about it for me and physics.

I'm impressed, Dear. PAR and the sciences do not get along well and never had.

Well, I can't say much towards whether or not you should trust Richard. That's a large part of the story.

Why didn't Roland ever mention Richard? Because he never knew about him. Heudros didn't start using the snakes until after he called Becca. So anything Heudros did before that, Roland has no knowledge of.

Who else could have raised a 'Power'? You are so going to love the answer to that one, Dear. But you are still several chapters away from the answer.

Lexa:

**Good two chapters. I don't really trust this new power Richard, he seems to have another motive in mind then just helping Becca. Personally I think that Becca should of gone to find Orion and ask him to help her learn magic that would of been a much safer route. But ah well. Can't wait to see how this is going to turn out. Keep up the good work. :)**

Move over and make room, Dear. There's a lot of people sailing onboard the 'HMS Idon'ttrustRichard'.

Well, it may have been safer, but not as available. The problem is, Becca thinks Orion is angry at her, so she's not too inclined right now to be seeking him out for help.

MasterLupin:

**An interesting confrontation of which I am unsure of what to make. I think I am right in saying that these four powers are the beginning of great change in the wizarding worlds similar in which Revelations says that the four horsemen will change the earth.  
Happy Christmas and Happy New Year, may this new year be better then the last.**

Actually, Dear....., ahhhhh......no. There are more than four 'Power's', so I'm afraid that line of reasoning isn't going to be valid here. And the attitude of the other 'Power's' might, in fact, surprise you. Keep in mind these are very 'old souls', so to speak. They've been through a lot where humanity, both magical and non-magical, is concerned.

Well, let me see, I've nearly died three times, had three surgeries, been in and out of hospital five times, nearly lost my mother to Bronchial Pneumonia, ran over my 20+ year old cat and killed her, and the year isn't over yet. Dear, as far as I'm concerned, 2009 has no where to go BUT up.

But honestly, thank you for the well wishes, Dear. I do appreciate them and hope they come true.

All reviews are as of 12/25/2008.

And remember;

To all my readers, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Joyful Kwanzaa, or simply Happy Holidays. May the holiday season be blessed and peaceful, and bring joy to you and yours.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER TEN: LESSONS**

Becca spent the next several hours trying to 'improve her circumstances'. But the most she found herself accomplishing was a sad testimonial to what she now believed truly were her lack of magical skills.

Sitting amid the same small, damp stones of her room, (now sporting several large dark burn marks), Becca lay her head over her knees, willing herself not to cry as she tried to figure out what kept going wrong.

Why couldn't she do anything right magically?

She could do magic! She knew she could. She had done magic all the time when she was with Heudros.

Surely she didn't need that sad excuse for a wizard back in her life in order to do even simple magic? No, that would be just too ironic to be true.

There was some other explanation. There had to be.

Becca's head snapped up. She would go find Richard. Richard could explain this to her. Tell her why she couldn't do magic properly.

Maybe Heudros had done something wrong when he called her, she thought.

No, that couldn't be it. Heudros called Richard, and Richard could do magic without even thinking, it seemed to her.

No, this had to be something that was specifically wrong with her. With the way she was doing magic.

Richard would sort it out.

Becca pulled herself to her feet and cautiously tried the door. It opened as easily as though it were brand new, swinging back and bumping slightly against the wall behind it.

Poking her head out into the corridor, Becca quickly started off the way she remembered they had come when Richard first brought her to the room.

But as she walked, doubts began to find their way into her plan. How would she find Richard? What if he wasn't in the rooms behind the large oak doors? Then what would she do? Could she call to him? Would he answer? Was she even suppose to leave that damp, wet room until she had accomplished the task he had set before her?

Lost in her thoughts, Becca abruptly found herself standing once more before the large oak doors, and suddenly very unsure of her next course of action. What if Richard was angry at her? Think her a useless failure for not being able to even do so simple a thing as change a room?

She took a step back.

Maybe she should just leave? Go back to the room and try again. And keep trying until he came to get her. She might still have failed, but at least she would have tried longer.

But even as she turned to head back to the room, the doors before her clicked and swung open.

"Is there something you needed, little sister?" Richard ask her, his ever pleasant smile beaming down at her.

Becca stumbled over her words, thrown off by suddenly having to face him when she had been more than ready and willing to retreat.

"I.....ahhh.....I was....ummmm....just....going back to my room." She finally stammered out.

"Indeed?" He ask. "Then why are you here, at my door? Did you need something?"

Becca paused for a moment, then clasp her hands firmly together in front of her. "No." She stated in a rigid, steady voice. "Nothing."

Richard gave her a brief, questioning look, then returned to his pleasantly bemused smile as he stepped back to close the door again. "All right. I will see you later then."

As the door began to close, Becca saw the answers to all her questions closing with it. If she didn't get answers now, somehow she felt she never would. And without answers, how could she ever figure out what was wrong?

"Richard, why can't I do proper magic?!" She blurted out.

The door stopped just short of closing, then slowly opened again as Richard's face appeared once more, a puzzled look on it.

"What?"

"Why can't I do proper magic?" Becca repeated a bit slower and clearer.

Richard considered the question for a moment. "Well, I don't know that you can't, Becca. My feelings on the matter are that it isn't that you can't, but that you simply haven't been taught 'how'. Which is your whole purpose in being here with me."

"But I can't do anything!" She wailed, gesturing to the corridor behind her. "I can't even do something as simple as change a cold, damp, wet room into something better! I've been there for hours and it's still a cold, damp, wet room.....except now it's a cold, damp, wet room with several large burn marks on the walls!"

Richard shook his head as he watched a thin line of tears run down her cheeks.

"All right now," he soothed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and directing her back towards her room, "I'm sure it's not as bad as you think. Just as I'm sure the problem isn't something we can't figure out."

"But it is." Becca wailed again. "Maybe the problem isn't something that can be figured out. What if the problem is me?"

Richard turned to look down at her. "You?"

"In order to fix a problem, you have to be 'able' to fix it. But I don't think we can fix this problem because I think 'I' am the problem. I think I'm what's wrong. And I don't know that I can be fixed."

The other 'Power' stopped short in the corridor and turned her abruptly to face him.

"What nonsense is this ?!" He ask sternly.

Becca stared up at him with huge, worried eyes. "You said Heudros called you first." Becca explained. "So when he called me, he knew how to do it and how to do it right. But I'm not right, Richard. There's something wrong with me!"

Richard gripped her shoulders tightly enough to cause her to wince. "Now you listen to me, Becca." He stated firmly. "There is nothing 'wrong' with you. If there was, I would know. Now, I don't want to hear any more of this nonsense about there being something 'wrong' with you. You are no more 'wrong' than I am."

Becca fell silent as she allowed Richard to take her back to the room.

Eventually standing in the doorway once more she faced her failure with her head bowed as she waited to hear Richard's laughter and recrimination at the sight. But when no sound came from the man standing next to her, Becca slowly glanced up at him.

"See." was all she could managed to get out.

Richard studied the room with a critical eye for several long moments still. "It's not that bad, Becca." He finally said. "At least it shows you tried. That is all I ever ask of you. That you try."

"I still think there is something wrong with me. Maybe something Heudros did when he called me. When we capture him, I'll ask him."

Richard turned quickly to her. "Don't put yourself in a position to listen to more of his lies, Becca. When we capture him, we will kill him."

"He won't lie." She stated resolutely. "I'll make him tell me the truth. Make him tell me what is wrong with me."

"We will kill him, Becca. As will we kill any who poses a threat to us."

Becca turned to him. "Any?"

"Any." Richard answered sharply. "Be they wizards, witches, muggles...., anyone who shows themselves to be our enemy."

"But why? Heudros always made me kill his enemies. But he never said 'why'."

"Then I'll tell you 'why', Becca. Because they will only want to enslave or hurt us. To them, we are the enemy. Their enemy."

"But that makes no sense. Why should they hate us? We are the very power they depend on. Kill us and they effectively kill off the very source of their magic."

"Ah, but they don't want to kill us, do they, Becca? What did Heudros do with you....with us? Kill us? No. He enslaved us. It was only when he no longer felt he needed us or could control us that he wanted to do away with us."

"Heudros never wanted to kill me." Becca stated with a frown.

"Not yet maybe." Richard answered. "But Heudros hadn't wanted to kill me at first either. He only decided on that course of action when he felt I no longer served his purposes. Make no mistake, little sister, he'd have grown tired of you as well when you became too much trouble for him."

Becca shook her head again. "That may be true of Heudros, but not everyone is that way, Richard. Mr. Black never tried to hurt me....or enslave me. He tried to do the opposite. He wanted to help free me from Heudros' control."

"For his own purposes, no doubt. Trusting them is a grave error, Becca. Don't fall to their lies of help and guidance. Trust your own kind. No one else."

Becca frowned deeper at the comment. "But Mr. Black never tried to do any of those things. He has a 'Power' of his own. He had no need of me."

"One of us is one source of magic for them, Becca. Have two and you double that source. Believe me, your Mr. Black had plans for you."

"No! You're wrong." Becca stated firmly, hands balled at her sides. "Orion Black meant me no harm. No deceit."

A hard slap across the face answered her this time. The blow sending her to the ground on her back. When she looked up, a finger pointed itself firmly in her face.

"That is the harm Mr. Black meant for you, little sister. Pain and suffering for you as he tried to control you. And when he no longer could, he would try and kill you just as Heudros eventually would have tried. That would eventually be Orion Black's deceit. So do us both a favor and remember this lesson so I never have to repeat it. They are all our enemies, Becca. They only want to hurt you. And the pain they can inflict is much worse than what you just felt. Believe that. We can only trust each other, you and I. Never, ever trust them."

Becca stared up at him as she held a hand to her cheek, already using her magic to ease the sting of the blow and heal the bruise it would leave.

The finger withdrew as Richard opened his hand to her, holding it out for her to take. But Becca only stared at it like it was a poisonous snake he was offering her.

"Trust, Becca." Richard reminded her in his now usual, calm, gentle voice. "You have to learn to trust me. Now, I'm sorry I had to teach you that particular lesson. But you are simply too naive where they are concerned. Too trusting of them. I needed a way to make sure you would never forget what I tried to teach you. And you never will, will you?"

Staring up at him still Becca slowly shook her head.

"I am the only one you should ever trust, Becca." Richard said, still holding his hand out to her. "Now come along. It's getting late and we should have dinner."

Although Becca tried to avoid his grasp, she found her hand seized in Richard's nonetheless and felt herself dragged back to her feet.

"I'll fix your room for tonight." He said, a bright smile beamed down at her as he gave the area a quick wave of his hand.

Before Becca's gaze, the room enlarged enough to comfortably hold a double sized bed and rug on the floor. Gone were the wet stones and damp air, replaced by a warm, cheerful fire burning in a small hearth.

"After all," Richard added, "I can't expect you to work very hard tomorrow if you don't have a good night's sleep tonight, now, can I?"

Becca carefully shook her head.

"But this is just for tonight." Richard stated. "Tomorrow morning it will revert to its previous state and you will have to put some more effort into your lessons if you want this back. And you will try for me, won't you, Becca?"

Becca nodded once. "Of course, Richard."

A pleasant smile answered her. "Very good. Then lets go see what we can have for dinner. I'm sure you're hungry by now."

Becca gave no answer as Richard pulled her after him down the hallway.

(-------------------------------)

Dinner was a partially silent affair, with Richard supplying most of the conversation as he continued to quiz Becca about her time with Heudros. But the girl's answers were quiet and reserved, and, Richard was quick to notice, she hardly ever looked up at him.

Finally, tired of trying to pull her out of herself, Richard gave her leave to go back to her room when she asked.

Steepling his fingers under his chin, he watched her all but flee his presence.

This would never do, he thought, with a shake of his head. He would have to guard his temper much more carefully. Another incident like the one today and she might try and leave him all together. And he couldn't have that. Not when he had worked so hard to get her this far.

She would trust him, he told himself firmly. It would just take time. Time, and careful planning.

Finishing his meal, Richard finally apparated back to his private rooms. As he entered the large den, he walked straight over to a short liquor cart sitting against one wall and poured himself a large tumbler of dark liquid. He brought it to his lips, but held it there, unmoving, as he stared over the rim of it at the fire, his thoughts turning back to Becca. Great magic, that girl was unbelievable! All that power, wrapped up in a package that was like........it was like trying to handle nitroglycerin with a sludge hammer.

He would have to tread very carefully with her, no doubt. One wrong move and everything could blow sky high.

"Where is she!?" A voice demanded from behind him. "Why haven't you done a binding spell yet?"

Richard sighed quietly to himself as he made a quick, pleading glance at the ceiling even as he turned about to face the person seated at the far side of the room.

"Because, my dear Heudros," Richard replied in a tight but amiable tone, "grabbing her was your foolish idea. It does not happen to be mine."

Heudros pulled himself to his feet, facing down the man before him. "And yet all your great plan has gotten you is 'what'?" The wizard stated in disgust.

Richard sighed quietly to himself again. 'Patience.' He counseled himself. 'Patience, patience, patience. That was how you got what you wanted in this place.'

"Heudros, if I had tried it your way, Becca would be wise to us now and I would never get within a mile of her anymore. As things are, at least I know where she is. And right now, believe me, it's best to handle her gently. Because right now she's like a small, frightened kitten............or more accurately, a very large, frightened tiger, who, if provoked, is likely to bring out it's claws and do someone a very serious injury. Most likely, me.

As it is, I have her attention. But even more importantly, I have her curiosity. Trust me, let me handle the situation my way, and by the time this is over, Becca will once again be doing your bidding."

"I don't need her doing my bidding anymore." Came the angry reply. "She is nothing more to me now than a dangerous loose end in need of tying off. That is what you were called for, and that is what you are here to do. Drain off her power and be done with her. Do not forget that."

The young man gave Heudros a small toast with his glass. "Of course not.........." he replied with a small smile, ".....,master."

**Q&A**

ilovesiriusblack:

**I was so pleased to find this chapter. Knew there was a reason I didn't like Richard, he is controlling and so I'm going to love who raised another power and there are more than 4 powers interesting, but the marauders wouldn't be that stupid. Also what's with 'HMS idon'ttrustrichard' I thought you were American?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.**

Always glad to make my readers happy.

As this chapter showed, Richard is a lot more than just controlling and manipulative. He's not beyond trying to control Becca through outright abuse.

No, no, Dear. Three of them are very old. Much older than the Marauders times, with one of those three being Bo.

Well, chalk it up to my watching too much British television.

Silverfox:

***hugs* Good to see you back.  
Controlling the weather, eh? Well, that won't help her bot attracting attention (which oddly is the first thing I'd want to teach her).  
Richard's teaching methods might need a little work as well, or he might end up with a nice big hole in his nice big house.**

Thank you, Dear. Took a while to figure out what they changed on my password.

I think controlling the weather would be pretty cool. But it is a little bit more attention getting than I think Richard wants for Becca right now.

Unfortunately, Richard lacks one really important characteristic in teaching. Patience. And with Becca it's a necessity. Only one person ever gave her that essential requirement, and that was Orion.

All reviews are as of 2/22/2009.

And remember;

With the state of the world right now, if pessimists aren't happy, they never will be.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: As always, Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER 11: LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE**

Arabella stood in the kitchen, watching Sirius through the large window over the sink. It had taken time for him to adjust to being back at the house after his release from the hospital. And she had understood that it was important to give him as much space as possible without making him feel like he was alone in the world without a life line to hold onto.

And she was determined to be that life line for him. There when he needed her, discreetly absent yet still watching over him when he didn't.

"So what's the main attraction?" A voice came from behind her. "Or need I ask?"

Arabella didn't bother even turning her head as Orion stepped up next to her and peered out the window.

"Honestly, Arabella," He chuckled, "you're worse sometimes than a hen with one chick, you know that? He isn't going to fall down and break a leg if he's ever out of your sight."

Arabella gave him a frown. "I know that. I was just checking on him for your information."

"And how has he been today?"

Arabella studied the man seating himself at the kitchen table for a long moment before answering. She wondered if now was really a good time to broach a subject with Orion that had been on her mind for several days.

Back in their school days, Orion had always been someone she could talk to. Who she could be completely open with without fear of being laughed at or made to feel any less of herself because of her opinions.

But those were also back in the days when she had fancied herself in love with the more enigmatic older Black she really met or gotten to know Sirius, and fallen truly, madly, deeply in love.

She had known back then Orion had been hurt and viewed her choice between them as a type of betrayal.

But that was ages ago. And they weren't school children anymore. Orion now had Katlin, the woman who he had loved enough to make his wife, something he had sworn before the world over and over again no woman would ever do. And whatever problems he may have had with his younger brother, in light of Sirius' current circumstances, Orion seemed to have set them aside for the time being.

Well, she had to bring the matter up sometime. And to her, sooner seemed better than later.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about Sirius." Arabella began, taking a seat at the table across from him.

Orion raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong with him?"

Arabella shook her head of soft brown curls. "No. It's not exactly that anything is 'wrong'. In fact," she added with a small smile, "I would actually say things have never been better."

Orion's eyebrows fell into a frown. "Meaning?"

"I've been spending a lot of time just watching Sirius, Orion. Not just to keep him under constant surveillance, but to see how he's adjusting."

"And?"

"And for a man who has been through what he has, I have to say that he is doing remarkably well. He isn't getting overly anxious as the doctors warned us he might. He hasn't voiced any concerns to me about feeling lost or disconnected with the things around him. He seems.......happy."

"As happy as a person can be with no past?"

"It doesn't seem to concern him very much, Orion. He doesn't sit around all day grilling us with questions about his past. He seems to be more content to just....let things happen. To go day to day and look for things he may recognize. I mean, just the other day we went for a walk down to the pond, and he told me he felt like he had been there before. Then I remembered you had told me that that was a place you always use to love to go as kids. That you used to spend almost every day during the summer down there swimming."

"Where are you going with this, Arabella?"

Arabella took a long, silent, deep breath as she faced the man across the table from her. "I'm suggesting that maybe we're going about things the wrong way."

"And what way might that be?"

"Every day Sirius is bombarded with images and stories and.....and scraps of his old life that we pick and choose to let him see. And none of that seems to be doing any good."

"The doctors said it would take time, Arabella."

"They also said it may not happen at all due to the strength of the.......," she cast a furtive glance at the window, "......incident." She finished in a quieter tone. "And yet when we leave him alone, he suddenly mentions feeling like he remembers something. That some place he is or some thing he sees feels familiar."

"And those could be just false memories, Arabella. The doctors warned us about them. His mind is desperately seeking something to latch onto. So he sees something he encountered just a few days ago and builds it into a memory to replace the one that's missing."

"I don't think that's what this was, Orion. He seemed so......certain of it. He said he really remembered it."

"Did you ask him any questions about it?" Orion ask her bluntly.

"What?"

"Did you ask him any questions about the memory, Arabella? The doctors said to do that. It was a way to prove if it was a real memory or something he was just creating. Like when we use to go to the pond, did anyone ever go with us? Did our parents take us or did we go by ourselves? Did we picnic there or just swim? Things I would know for sure, but that he may just be making up from his own mind."

Arabella shook her head again. "No, I didn't think to. But those aren't things I would know anyway, or think to ask. I wasn't there, Orion."

"You can still ask him questions, Arabella, then relate his answers back to me. I can tell if the answers he gives are right or not."

"You make it sound like he's taking a test."

"I'm trying to help him separate what's true from what's just something he's making up to fill a gap."

"Well, maybe part of that gap is best left empty."

Orion didn't question her statement, but instead simply stare across the table at her. But Arabella could practically feel the tension rising in him. He was already on to where she was headed with this conversation, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Orion, there's no need to treat me like I'm planning to attack you." She advised carefully.

"Is that what I'm doing?" He ask innocently.

Arabella gave a harsh laugh. "You're pulling your defenses around you like war wagons circling, Orion. For magic's sake, I'm not trying to hurt Sirius."

"You're going somewhere with this. So why don't you just say what you have to say?"

Arabella took another long breath. "All I'm suggesting, Orion, is that maybe we're trying too hard here. Maybe we need to just back off and let......."

"Let 'what', Arabella? Nature take it's course? That could take weeks, months, maybe years. A luxury my brother doesn't have. If it even happens at all. Left as he is, Sirius is a sitting duck for any crazy who happens along and recognizes him and fancies himself the captor of the notorious Deatheater, Sirius Black."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Orion! I'm not suggesting we just abandon him to his own devices. Or leave him to fend for himself like a child left in the woods."

"Really. Because that's exactly what it sounds like to me."

"Then listen closer." She stated firmly, meeting his stare with an unflinching one of her own. "He's happy."

"Ignorance is bliss?"

"Then he's at peace." Arabella tried again, staring up at him with a pleading look as she laid a hand over his arm. "You saw him when he first got out of Azkaban. But you haven't seen him all these years later. When he's laying in bed in the middle of the night with his eyes wide open, too frightened to go to sleep. Frightened of what he knew was waiting for him. The dreams. The nightmares. So real that on the rare nights he did sleep he would wake up screaming.

He doesn't have them anymore, Orion." Arabella continued, still staring up at him with a look that begged him to understand. "He doesn't remember his life, that's true. But by that same token, he doesn't remember Azkaban either, or any of the horrible things he went through there. And for the first time in all those years, he is truly happy. Maybe....maybe what Voldemort said was true. Maybe he's given Sirius a gift after all."

"It's no gift, Arabella!" Orion fired back, shaking her hand off his arm as he got to his feet. "It's a false sense of security. One that could be blown away at a moments notice. He has to be able to face that if it comes, and be able to protect himself if necessary."

Arabella's gaze hardened on the man before her. "You're not even willing to think about this?"

"There's nothing to think about. We stay with the original plan. Now, I'm sorry, but one bad memory is no decent reason to rob a man of his entire life."

"One bad memory?!" Arabella fumed, getting to her own feet. "One bad memory?!"

For a second Orion was sure the woman standing in front of him was going to take a good hit at him. But just as quickly as her anger rose up, Arabella reined it back in.

"All right." She stated in a masked calm voice. "You obviously have your mind made up, and since you are his brother and his current legal guardian, I really have no choice but to accept your decisions."

And with that Arabella turned and walked out of the room.

Orion cursed a blue streak under his breath as he watched her go.

The woman could be as infuriating as a lair full of Deatheaters when she had her mind set on something. He knew all too well that running up against solid opposition rarely phased her. Just as he well knew that thinking this was the end of the matter was utter folly where Arabella was concerned. She didn't get an idea like this in her head and then just let it go after one, brief discussion.

The problem was trying to figure out what her next step would be.

**Q&A**

Silverfox:

**Patience is important, yes, but explaining how goes a long way as well when you want to teach something. (How and why, if you try to teach me actually. I rather prefer to understand what I'm doing.)  
Then again, if Richard keeps messing up, that might drive Becca away from him which sounds like a good idea.**

I gave up on the 'why' part of things. It just seems to take a lot longer if I want to know why I'm doing something. (I also work for the government, remember.)

The overall general consensus seems to be that Becca needs to dump Richard. Whether or not that is a good idea remains to be seen.

ilovesiriusblack:

**Becca should leave and leave now and not give Richard a chance to lash out again, because he will, people like that always do.  
So there are 2 powers as of yet unaccounted for? I'm confused as to whether or not Richard is old enough to be one? Otherwise who could have conjured them? How about that Flammel guy the one who made the philosophers stone?  
Now I'm curious what British TV do you watch?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.**

My general feelings are if you hit me once, you best not need to sleep anymore. But then, Becca's entire life has been being someone's doormat. Old habits are hard to change.

Old enough to be one, Dear? Age has little to do with it. You either are or you aren't. And Richard most definitely is, having been called by Heudros.

Nope. No Flammel, sorry. The other two 'Powers' have actually been around for a very long time. Think more around Bo's age.

My mother and I have a routine. Every Saturday night we sit down and get our two hour dose of British TV with Are You Being Served, Keeping Up Appearances, As Time Goes By, and either The Vicar Of Dibbly or Waiting For God, depending on what WEDU is showing that year.

I am also a 'Whovian' and saw my fair share of Eastenders while I was in Ireland.

All reviews are as of 03/01/2009.

And remember;

Alimony - Taxation without representation.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER TWELVE: A RAY OF HOPE?**

Orion was headed upstairs for one of his few but treasured brief contacts with his wife when the doorbell sounded.

An extremely disappointed sigh echoed his feelings at the delay as he started back down the stairs.

'This had better be important or someone's going to end up ashes.' He steadfastly told himself as he opened the door.

"Mr. Black." Came the formal greeting.

Orion stared back at Dr. Martinson, Sirius' doctor from the hospital with a great deal of speculation. The man had come to the house personally? From the day he had met him, Orion was beginning to think the man lived solely at the hospital, since he always seemed to be there. If he had ventured outside of what he appeared to view as it's hallowed ground's, then the matter had to be of significant importance.

"Dr. Martinson." Orion said, stepping back and allowing the physician to enter the house. "This is something of a surprise. A house call?"

The doctor turned to face the Unspeakable. "In a manner of speaking. There was a matter I needed to discuss with you rather urgently. A private matter." He added with emphasis.

Orion directed the man to his study. "My brother is outside and Arabella and Harry are upstairs. We should have plenty of privacy in here."

Entering the room, the doctor immediately seated himself in a chair near the unlit fireplace. "It's Sirius mostly I would not want to overhear what I have to tell you. I wouldn't want to raise his hopes for something that may never happen."

Orion took the opposite chair. "Raise his hopes ?"

"We think we may have found a way to help your brother regain his memory." Dr. Martinson replied.

Orion studied the physician carefully. Where as one would have termed this 'good news', the man wasn't smiling. "But....?" He ask cautiously.

The doctor paused before answering. "But there are certain risks involved."

"Risks?" Orion ask, his voice growing ever more cautious.

"From the beginning the spell used on your brother has proved to be.....elusive. We figured that the dark lord probably used an old obscure spell, modifying it slightly to suit his needs. After searching through the recent medical text, we decided that perhaps your brother's cure lay in the similar area to where his problem originated from. In some of the more obscure cures that are rarely used anymore."

"And?"

"And we believe we did indeed find the counter-spell."

"But....?" Orion prompted again when the man didn't continue.

"But there are....as I said....risks."

"Such as?"

"As stated, we believe the dark lord used an old spell, but with certain modifications to achieve the results he wanted. Spells that have been 'tweaked' are especially risky when it come to their cures. The original spell, you see, isn't what it was. The cure was devised to work on one particular spell. But that isn't the same spell anymore. Therefore, the cure isn't the same cure we need. But it's close.....and right now, it's the best thing we have."

Orion considered the information for a moment. "And what are the risks we are talking about?"

Dr. Martinson cleared his throat before continuing. "As I said, the spell has been altered from it's original state. What the spell was originally made to do was to erase someone's memory completely. From the day they were born. A person this spell was used on would lose not just the memories of their life, but of everything they had learned in that time as well. How to speak, how to interact socially, what common objects were, everything. Overall, it was a particularly nasty spell."

"I don't ever recall ever hearing it used." Orion pointed out.

"It rarely was. For a spell to be able to do what this one did, the caster had to be a magic user of incredible power. Even the dark lord apparently couldn't muster up the power needed to work the spell in it's entirety. Which is why we believe he altered it."

Orion ponder the idea for a moment, then shook his head. "No. He made it do exactly what he wanted." He replied finally.

The doctor gave him a curious look. "How can you be sure?"

"If anyone could cast this spell, it would be Voldemort. I can't imagine many spells he doesn't have the power work. But the last thing he told Arabella was he was giving her a gift, just before he cast the spell. I think this was the gift he was talking about. He didn't use the spell's full power."

Dr. Martinson considered the idea. "Hardly sounds like the dark lord. Giving someone a gift."

Orion gave the man a small smile. "Oh, he's getting his due out of it. Make no mistake."

"How so?"

"He wouldn't go to the trouble of altering a spell without knowing what the payoff was. Especially when at it's worst the spell could have done much more damage. I believe the payoff for him is that the cure is almost worst than the disease. There is a cure, but it's a gamble to use. It might work. It might make things worse. And I've already seen the dark lord's work in this field. He takes special pleasure in knowing that if the cure is used, and it doesn't work, he now also has the added price of the would be cure-worker facing the guilt of having made things worse by their own hand."

Dr. Martinson got to his feet. "Well, I leave it in your hands, Mr. Black. As your brother's legal guardian in this matter, it is your decision to make."

Orion rose as well. "I'll give the matter a great deal of thought, you can be sure. And I'd like to check over your findings on the spell myself before making the final decision."

"Of course." Dr. Martinson agreed. "I'll have the file work sent over immediately."

(-----------------------------------------------)

Outside the study, Arabella apparated back to her room without a sound as the two men approach the doorway.

A cure! That had set off a torrent of hope flooding through her. They could cure Sirius!

But as she continued to listen, her hope had faded fast. There were risks. Ones where Sirius could end up worse off than he was now.

Why was nothing ever simple or straight forward with Voldemort? He seemed to take special delight in twisting things around until you weren't sure what was what anymore, and every solution seemed to have a catch.

And as well as she knew Sirius, she equally knew his brother. If Orion was handed a chance to help Sirius, no matter how small, he was more likely than not going to take it. Anything rather than leave his brother the way he was.

She had to get answers, and her time frame for doing so had just been reduced to days instead of weeks.

And only one person had the answers she needed. But the problem was how to get to them.

**Q&A**

ilovesirisublack

**I love Sirius have I mentioned that recently? And 2 updates in a week how happy am I?  
Arabella is playing a dangerous game I don't think Sirius will thank her for hiding his life from him, would he trade his memories of James for not having to remember Azkaban?  
Ok old families... Gryfindor and Slytherin or is that too obvious?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.  
P.s can't believe you've watched Eastenders.**

Well, couldn't upload weekend prior, so I did it on Wednesday instead.

We all see things in our own way, Dear. Arabella truely sees what she's proposing as what's best for Sirius.

Too obvious.

Hey, it was Ireland, we got to our B&B, turned on the TV and ....'Oh! Look! Eastenders.....again.'. What can I say? I mean, that show seemed to always be on.

MasterLupin:

**Hm. I didn't expect Arabela to be the one advocating for letting Sirius forget his past just because he is happy now. Although I doubt he is actually happy, but rather a front that he is putting up a to make everyone relax.**

As stated above, Arabella sees what she's doing as the best possible solution. Sirius seems happy and she wants him to stay that way. Whether or not he actually is remains to be seen.

All reviews are as of 03/08/2009.

And remember:

Five days out of the week, my body is a temple.

The other two, it's an amusement park.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Yes, it's long. Kinds makes up for last week's short chapter.

And as always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: GETTING ANSWERS**

Arabella listened as Dr. Martinson left the house, wondering how much time they would wait before trying this miracle cure of theirs on Sirius. To her the whole thing sounded far too risky. In the end it may amount to nothing at all, or, at the least, Sirius may come out far worse off than he was.

She had to get to Voldemort and get more information about this spell. Maybe there was no way to reverse it. Or what if he had put some sort of counter spell on it, doing more harm to the person if the spell was tampered with. To her, that sounded more like Voldemort's style.

Wandering down the hall to her room, Arabella was puzzling over how to get to Voldemort when a small object laying on the carpet caught her attention. Leaning down, she picked it up and held it up to the light shining in through the clear glass window at the end of the corridor.

At first appearance it appeared to be nothing more than a small, light blue colored stone. But as she studied it, the stone gave off a small shimmer in the sunlight, showing that it had some sort of charm on it.

Arabella quickly pulled out her wand and performed a quick spell on the stone.

Several spells later, a small smile curved over her lips. So, the stone had been enchanted to be a type of port key. And considering who the stone was linked to, she had very few doubts who it belonged to. Which also made her use of it very limited. It wasn't likely that Orion was going to go very long without noticing the stone was missing.

Stepping into her room, Arabella worked several quick spells of her own on the small stone, reversing the original spell and putting several safe guards on it as well. But working the spells just right ended up consuming a great deal of her time and there wasn't a lot left for intricate planning. She would have to get in and get out as fast as possible. And hopefully the stone's owner would help her do just that.

A few minutes later, Arabella held the stone tightly in her hand, hoping she had reworked the spells on it correctly. That rather than bringing the owner of the stone to her, it would take her to them.

Arabella closed her hand over the stone and recited the spell, hoping her target wasn't in the middle of a Deatheater 'get-together' at that moment.

(-------------------------)

Appearing in the middle of a large room, still holding tightly onto the stone and even tighter onto her wand, Arabella quickly looked around. But the first thing she registered when she got her bearings was an all too familiar voice from behind her.

"Very good, Figg. Using my own spell to find me. But did you really think I wasn't prepared for the contingency that someone just might use it for just such a purpose?"

Arabella turned around quickly, only to find herself staring down the tip of Katlin's mahogany wand.

Arabella forced herself to relax and try to not come off as defensive. "If it wasn't important, I wouldn't have taken the risk, believe me."

"One might wonder." Came the all too formal reply. "If you wanted to see me, why not just stop by for tea? You know where I live."

Arabella folded her arms across her chest. "And I was also under the impression that wasn't something you care to advertise to broadly."

"It's not." Katlin replied, lowering her wand as she walked past the other woman to the door and quickly slid the lock into place. "Now," she added, turning back to Arabella, "might I be so bold as to ask exactly what you're doing here?"

Arabella squared her shoulders as she faced the Elite. "I need to see Voldemort."

"If that was your goal, why didn't you just appear at the entrance?" Katlin replied, walking back across the room. "I can personally guarantee that will get you an audience with him."

"Because once I've spoken with him, I'd like to be able to leave." Arabella replied with a small smile. "Not something I'm to certain a room full of Deatheaters would be too keen on allowing."

"Believe it." Katlin stated. "So, while you still have the chance, why don't you.....?"

A knocked sounded loudly on the door.

"Or for the love of..........." Katlin muttered as she pointed her wand at the door. The large bolt slid out of place, unlocking the door. "Come!"

Pushing the door open, Analisa walked in with a piece of parchment in her hand. "Katlin, I needed to see.............." But the second woman stopped in her tracks as she spotted Arabella standing across the room.

"London Central station." Katlin announced with a sigh. "Please have your tickets ready."

"Arabella?" The newcomer ask, jumping slightly as the large iron bolt slid back into place behind her. "What are you doing here?"

Arabella set her gaze on the Katlin. "Trying to do some persuading."

"Persuading?" Analisa followed her stare. "Good luck."

Arabella frowned at the woman. "Not her. Voldemort."

Analisa gave a short snort of laughter. "Oh! Better luck, then!"

Arabella squared her shoulders again. "I think I have a very good chance, actually."

"Really?" Analisa looked intrigued at the statement. "And why is that?"

"Because," Arabella searched about for the right words, "Voldemort seemed rather.......to have a certain fondness for me before."

Katlin turned back to her. "Fondness?" She stated in disbelief. "Surely you're not still chasing that delusion of my husband's that Voldemort was in love with you?"

Analisa's head snapped back up around at the comment. "Love?" She echoed, then quickly shook her head. "Oh, no. I'm afraid you have that wrong, Arabella."

"Wrong?"

Analisa shook her head again. "Whatever impression he gave you, I assure you the emotion behind it was not love."

"How do you know? Orion seemed to feel..............."

Katlin cut her off. "Because Voldemort wouldn't know the meaning of that word if you wrote it down for him and gave him a dictionary to look it up in."

Arabella kept her arms crossed in front of her as she stared back at the other woman. "He seemed to be doing just fine in Sirius' body."

Analisa broke in as she shook her head once more. "That wasn't love, Arabella. I mean, you have the first two letters right. But that's about it."

"First two letters?"

"Yes. You see, it isn't love he ever wants. It's loyalty. That was all he ever wanted from you and Harry. But you betrayed that in his mind when you chose Sirius over him. That did not earn you any points in his eyes, believe me. To him, you are little more than a traitor. And Voldemort doesn't suffer those very well, I can tell you."

Arabella considered the information. Maybe things weren't as black and white as she had hoped they might be. Not that she had given that hope very good odds to start with, she still had to have tried for Sirius' sake. "Then apparently I've wasted my time." she answered matter-of-factly. "And thankfully, I didn't cross his path, since it sounds unlikely he would have been inclined to simply let me walk out of here."

During the conversation, Katlin had stood near the door, her head tilted towards it with a deep frown. As Arabella turned back to face her, she now stood tapping her wand against her hand. "Now you see," she stated calmly, "this is where the trouble starts."

Arabella studied the woman before her carefully. "What trouble?"

Katlin instantly pulled her wand up and fired a spell at the woman standing before her.

Arabella collapsed to the floor just as the pounding on Katlin's door started.

Sighing to herself, Katlin walked over to where Arabella laid unconscious on the floor. "You assumed I was in a position to grant the same favor." She stated.

"In the name of the dark lord, open this door!" An all too familiar voice called out.

With an expression that promised things best only imagined, Katlin turned back to the other occupant in the room. "If you're wise," she stated in a cold, emotionless voice, "you'll keep your mouth shut and simply nod. Is that understood?"

Analisa quickly nodded.

"Good." Katlin replied with a small smile as she walked back over to the door and slid the bolts back. On the other side of it stood a red faced, demanding Johnathan Treaks.

"Do stop with the theatrics, Johnathan." Katlin answered with a weary sigh. "They are very tiresome."

Treaks at first blanked at her statement, but then quickly pulled himself back around. "The alarms indicated an intruder in this........."

Katlin stepped back and indicted the unconscious woman with her wand.

".......area." Treaks finished on a diminished note.

"And as usual, Johnathan, your news is old." Katlin informed him loudly enough for the others in the corridor to hear.

"And why exactly is an Auror in your quarter's, Katlin?"

"Because she somehow managed to get past your guards, Johnathan. Analisa had just come to my door, and when I opened it the Auror forced her way in. Thankfully I managed to subdue her, as you can see."

Treaks turned a questioning stare, accented by a deep frown, to the other quickly nodded in response to the unspoken question.

"Surely you're not questioning my word, Johnathan?" Katlin ask, quickly pulling his attention away from the other woman. Analisa was good at following orders, but she would surely break down under any scrutinizing interrogation.

Treaks gave her a decidedly unfriendly stare. "Of course not." He stated as he began to proceed into the room, only to be stopped short as Katlin stretched the hand holding her wand across his path.

"And you would be doing......what?" She ask in a bored, but insistent tone.

"That woman is an Auror." Treaks informed her formally. "She is to be taken to the dark lord."

"She is to be interrogated. And that, Johnathan," Katlin stated with a small smile, "is my job. Now we've had this discussion before." She added in a tone of an adult addressing a very stubborn child. "Do we need to have it again in front of all these witnesses?"

If the look he had given her before was unpleasant, the one Treaks had on his face now was down right murderous.

"I shall inform the dark lord of the capture." He stated.

Katlin nodded agreeably. "You do that, Johnathan. And in the meantime, do try not to make a muck-up of anything I'll have to mop up later."

Treaks leaned a bit closer to her, failing to get the response he hoped for of having her back away. "Black deserves you." He hissed under his breath.

Katlin only smiled at the taunt. "And he sends his love." She answered.

Pulling back, Johnathan informed the others that Katlin was in charge of the prisoner and they were to return to their other posts.

As the group outside dissolved, Katlin closed the door on the scene with a quiet sigh before turning her attention to Analisa.

"Get out." She stated plainly.

"But what are you going to do with........?"

Katlin frowned at the question. "I fail to see what concern that is of yours." She replied coldly. "Now get. Out. And if you are wise, you will do everything in your power to avoid Treaks in the far future. He'll be looking to break my story and he already has you labeled as the weak link. Go tell Severus he owes you a night out.....and extend it for a few days at the castle."

Analisa paused for a moment more, than turned and, pulling open the door, quickly hurried out.

Walking over to the still open door, Katlin pushed it closed with another loud sigh.

"Well now," she ask as she turned around and leaned against it, staring at the collapsed form on her floor, "what exactly am I suppose to do with you, Figg?"

(--------------------------------)

Several hours later, Arabella pulled herself out of what seemed like a bottomless black pit. Rubbing her head slightly, she took in her surroundings, her stare quickly settling on the woman standing on the other side of a set of bars.

"Well, that took long enough!" Katlin stated in an irritated tone. "With that kind of recovery time, it's a wonder you ever survive a battle, Figg."

Arabella struggled to her feet with the help of the bars next to her. "I never have to shake off a spell's effects." She replied in a shaky voice. "Since I never get hit."

"Hard to believe."

Arabella turned a heated stare to the woman. "Well I certainly didn't expect to have a spell thrown at me by you!"

A hand slammed against the bars stopped her tirade short. "Silence!" Katlin hissed in a whispered tone. "Are you honestly so dense you think no one is listening?"

Arabella immediately fell silent, but recovered herself quickly as she whispered between the bars. "Surely you would put spells in place for that."

"Nothing is a guarantee in this place anymore. So guard your tongue better."

"Lovely place you have here." Arabella commented dryly. "It just brims with loyalty."

Katlin shrugged at the comment. "When you work in a viper's pit, you have to expect to find a few snakes." She replied.

Arabella had already slowly lowered herself back to the floor. She wasn't sure what spell Katlin had used on her, but it had the most unpleasant after-effects. Trying to get to her feet had caused a wave of nausea to rise in her throat, and so she quickly abandoned the attempt.

"Someone won't be very pleased to find out what you've done." Arabella finally said.

Katlin stepped up closer to the bars. "Nor will he be very pleased to find out you came here at all." She stated firmly. "What stupidity invaded your mind to think you could waltz in and then just waltz back out of the Deatheaters lair?"

"The same thought that landed me in this cell to begin with." Arabella stated, fixing her stare on the woman before her. "You."

"Well you were wrong." Katlin said, standing back up. "The minute you apparated into my chambers you set off an intruder alert throughout the lair. Within seconds they knew what you were and where you were. What I did likely saved your life, since they saw no point in attacking an unconscious opponent."

"Does that often stop them?" Arabella ask with a small, smug smile.

"Don't taunt your captors, Figg." Katlin advised in a cold tone. "It's very poor strategy."

"Fine." Arabella stated, wanting to drop the sparing match and get on to more important matters. "If I'm going to have to play prisoner, do I at least get to achieve my original goal?"

"And what might that have been, Arabella?" Came a voice Arabella didn't at first recognize. Likely because she had only heard it once before in connection with it's current possessor. But as soon as the man stepped out of the shadows, Arabella immediately recognized him.

It may have been a different face, a different voice, and a different body, but the force behind all three was undoubtedly Voldemort's.

For several seconds Arabella found she could do nothing more than stare up at the man. Any compassion, no matter how small the flame, appeared to have been clearly burned out when Sirius's influence over the man ended. And taken with it the equally small amount of warmth that had once found its way into his eyes. The lack of which Arabella could feel under his sharp, cold gaze.

"I came to see you." She answered in a voice very unlike her own even to her own ears. It sound far too quiet and far too frightened for her liking.

"How very touching." the dark lord replied in a tone that bordered on a droll sound. "Did you miss me already?"

"I wanted to ask you a question." She stated, ignoring the question.

"And what would that be?"

"When.....when you left Sirius' body, you left him with no memory."

The man before her said nothing to confirm or deny the statement.

"I want to know if the spell is reversible." Arabella ask.

"Why?"

"Because Orion and the doctors are trying to work a spell that would do just that. But what they've come up with so far is very risky, and could end up doing more harm than good."  
'Ah. So our dear Mr. Black is trying to actually help his brother? How touching." The dark lord stated, seeming to pause as he thought about the situation. But finally he turned his attention back to Arabella. "And I should answer your question 'why'?"

Arabella hardened her stare a little. "Because we risked our lives trying to help you. Because we helped you destroy Heudros and his power base and gave you one less enemy to worry about. Now I need your help."

"And you expect me to give it?" The man gave her a small smile. But there wasn't one ounce of warmth in it.

"And one time, you would have help me, no matter what I ask."

"I wouldn't advise bargaining with that chip, Arabella. It lost it's effectiveness a very long time ago."

Arabella held the man's stare. "All I am asking for in return for the help we gave you is an answer to a question. Can the effect of the spell be reversed, yes or no?"

"Tell me why it so important to you." The man stated plainly.

Arabella sighed. He had something he knew she desperately wanted. Knowing him, there was no way he wasn't going to get as much mileage out of it as he could.

"Because in his desperation to help his brother, Orion is likely to discount the risk as opposed to the possible pay-off."

The dark lord considered the statement. "And you don't see the end as justifying the means?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Arabella sighed. The man was getting his moneys worth all right. "Because Sirius is happy the way he is. He doesn't remember Azkaban or anything about Peter Pettigrew or you. True, it's not the best of situations. He doesn't remember his family or his life before the war or anything else either. But he's at peace finally. He's getting a chance to start over."

Voldemort sighed quietly as he thought over the information. "Certainly not an effect I was aiming for with the infamous, younger Mr. Black. Least of all for all the trouble he caused me." He stated, turning his gaze back to her. "But you are right, Arabella. You did help me and I suppose that warrants at least an answer to your question."

Arabella stared at him in something akin to disbelief. She had started to think the man would get what information he wanted from her then leave her with nothing. But he had offered to answer her question, and she could at least take that back to Orion. Perhaps get him to stop his mad quest for a cure that may not exist.

"Can the spell be reversed?" She ask again.

Voldemort tapped a finger to his chin. "That's hard to say." He replied finally.

She should have known. "And that's no answer."

The dark lord turned to her with a mirthless smile. "Patience, Arabella. I'm not done." He replied. "The spell you are speaking of is really only part of an overall larger spell. Therefore, as only a component of the spell, I am not sure that one small part can be extricated without destabilizing the whole spell. So, overall, I would have to say the answer to your question, is 'no'."

Arabella actually found herself having mixed feelings about the answer given to her. She had been against removing the spell from the start. But maybe some small part of her did desperately want Sirius to remember her. To remember the life they had together and the future they had planned.

But he didn't have the nightmares anymore. He wasn't afraid to go to sleep at night or be chased by his memories even in his dreams. He slept peacefully at night and during the day he was happy. And that she cared about more than her own wants and desires.

"Thank you." She said in a quieter voice. "I appreciate your answering that for me."

The man pulled himself up to his full height as he stared down at her between the bars. For a moment Arabella thought he was going to say something else. But finally he turned away from the bars of her cell. But as he started to leave the chamber, he stopped suddenly as though caught by an errant thought.

"Katlin." He stated.

The Elite immediately appeared at his side. "My lord?"

"Ms. Figg is to be taken out the north side tunnel and released. Is that clear?"

If Katlin was surprised by the order, she gave no sign of it as she simply executed a small bow and answered, "Yes, my lord."

Arabella met the man's stare one last time before he turned finally and left the chamber without another word.

"He's letting me go?" Arabella ask several moments after Voldemort had left the chamber.

Katlin already had the door to the cell open. 'It would appear so to the unwary."

Arabella stopped as she stepped out of the cell. "Meaning?"

"I know Voldemort. The red flag that raised was that he was very specific in his orders. You're to be taken out the north side tunnel and released."

"So?"

"You're not walking out of here, Figg. So be prepared. Voldemort is using your leaving to do a little 'house-cleaning'. Someone has displeased him recently. That is the person who he is informing of your 'escape' and sending to stop you. You're to kill them."

"He's setting up one of his own followers to be killed?"

Katlin merely shrugged off the accusation as she deftly tossed the polished wooden stick to the other witch. "Or you. Either way, he gets what he wants."

Arabella grabbed the wand out of the air. "Well, so much for any warm feels left in him."

Katlin fixed a hard stare on the woman next to her. "And I can only hope you will remember that." She stated. "And that this will put an end to any of those foolish notions my husband planted in your head, Figg. To Voldemort you have never been anything more than a tool. Something given to him to use as he saw fit. When you stopped being that, you became nothing. That is how the dark lord sees people.

Currently, he sees you as a means to an end. He has two problems. Setting them against each other, one is bound to take care of the other. If it wasn't you, he'd find someone else."

"So, I'm suppose to kill whoever this person is sent to try and stop my escape." Arabella replied matter-of-factly.

"Or they, you. It really depends on who has the greater skill or the better advantage. At this point I would think you excel in at least one category. You have the element of surprise on your side."

Arabella frowned at the other woman, but didn't waste any more time arguing with her. At that moment Voldemort was already alerting whatever hapless soul had irritated him that week of her escape. With any luck she could circumvent the whole situation by 'escaping' long before the person got anywhere near the north side tunnel.

**Q&A**

MasterLupin:

**I got the impression early on in this chapter that something like this (cure worse then disease) was going to happen. I still don't understand Arabella's actions of late, they seem more based on emotions then her normal thought out one from earlier in the series.  
Are we starting to see Arabella start to crack from the pressure of raising a young teenage boy with a tragic hero complex, and having her engaged man have no recollection of who she really is?**

Granted, those factors are enough to put anyone under a great deal of pressure. But it would also take a great deal more to 'crack' Arabella. Keep in mind that Harry's seemingly gentle, quiet godmother really isn't much of either when she slips on her Auror robes and gets down to business.

ilovesiriusblack:

**How annoying is that doctor? Orion must have asked at least three times what the risks were and he never told him. Not sure whether or not Orion will take it or if it will work, Ithought we were going to have Sirius's own brand of mischief first?  
Thought that would be too obvious, Malfoy?  
Yes Eastenders is on 4 times a week.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.**

Haven't been to a doctor lately, have you, Dear? They are annoying as all get out!

Mischief is coming, Dear. Give it time. And actually, it's been there, I just haven't been focusing on it too much. I mean, what do you think Sirius has been doing with his time lately? Being a good boy and sitting in a chair all day, waiting for someone to tell him where to go and what to do? He's been snooping. Sirius knows something isn't right. He's just waiting for something or someone to point out clearly enough what that 'something' is.

Nope. Not Malfoy.

Silverfox:

**Actually, it was the time when I worked for the government that I was thinking of when I said I needed to be told how and why. Because write a letter to XY is a very useless order, if I have no idea who XY is or what exactly I'm supposed to tell him. (Also have you ever tried to negotiate a contract amendment without knowing why the stipulations in question were put in there? Gr ...)  
Er ... on to nicer topics: I was very happy to hear about Sirius again this chapter and that even though I'm not a Sirius fan. All this questioning sounds rather uncomfortable, though maybe since Sirius doesn't remember school either he doesn't have that much of a problem with the 'exams'.**

Government employment is a pain. But its steady and relatively safe.

Sirius is back in the story and from here on out will play a large part in the events that are coming. Keep in mind that Sirius is a master strategist. Something the group could definitely use when dealing with Becca, and even more so with Richard.

All reviews are as of 03/15/2009.

And remember;

Happy Ides of March to all my Shakespeare readers.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: As that this is what you've all been waiting for, I don't see how you can't, but just the same,

As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: COMING HOME - PART ONE**

Walking up the drive to the Black Estate, Arabella tried once more to rally some sort of sympathy for the man who had attacked her in the tunnel of the Deatheater's lair. And once again failed.

She could easily see why Voldemort wanted the man 'punished'. He was arrogant, fierce, overconfident..., and stupid. The man's attack stated all too clearly that he had no doubt of the outcome.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

And as an added bonus for the dark lord thinking he could get her to do his dirty work, she had sent the idiot back to him slightly the worse for wear and with one very large headache.

Voldemort could deal with his own messes as far as she was concerned.

As she walked towards the house, Arabella worked hard trying to think of how she was going to deal with the situation now. She knew within good reason that Orion shouldn't let the doctors try this 'cure' of theirs on Sirius, or, with a good amount of certainty, they risk making things worse. But how could she go about telling him what she knew without having to tell him how she knew it.

Although, that was probably a moot point. She was fairly certain Katlin would tell Orion what went on in the lair. Not out of maliciousness, though the Elite would likely derive some small pleasure out of it, but simply because she felt he should know. So Arabella's problem was likely to come to her soon enough, and she had best be ready with her arguments when he did.

Lost in her thoughts, Arabella was nearly knocked over when a broom came to a whirlwind stop next to her and a man deftly slid off of it.

"Mornin' Ms. Figg!" The man stated pleasantly. "Is Orion in today? Got a message for him."

"Brain Tanner!" Arabella turned sharply to the man standing next to her. "What do you think you're doing!?"

The man froze. "Ummmm.....delivering a message, miss. Should I be doing something else?" He added quickly.

Arabella gave a nervous glance to the house, then pulled the man under one of the trees lining the drive.

"Brain! What if Sirius saw you!?" She shouted at the man in a whispered voice. "We have worked weeks to make sure he doesn't see anything.........'unusual'. And then you come flying in here like it's Heathrow International! What if he saw you!"

The Unspeakable pulled back a few steps. "I'm right sorry, Ms. Figg. But look....," he added, pointing down the lane, "I came up under the trees. He wouldn't have seen me even if he was looking. I was careful."

But where you stopped was perfectly visible from Sirius' room, Brian." Arabella stated. With a soft groan she covered her face, shaking her head several times. "I'd better get inside and see if everything's all right. Make sure Sirius wasn't in his room."

Tanner stopped her with a quick hand on her arm. "Ummmm........is Orion at home?" He asked again.

Arabella shook her head. "I think he said something about being out most of the afternoon."

"Oh......all right then. I'll just report back to Mr. Bale then. Nothin' that can't wait."

Arabella barely had time to stop the man as he again mounted the broom. "Brian!"

The man gave her an exasperated look, then slowly slid off the broom again. "All right. But look here, can I at least take off from the end of the drive? It's a far piece back to the Ministry and I don't fancy the walk."

Arabella frowned at the man. Sarcasm she did not need right now. "Just see that it's the end of the drive." She stated firmly.

The man took off at a quick jog down the drive, obviously eager to be on his way.

Arabella shook her head again as she turned back to the house. Hopefully every thing would be all right. Sirius would be in the kitchen, or the livingroom, or somewhere else where he would not have been able to have seen Tanner come flying up the drive. With a heavy sigh she started towards the house.

(--------------------------------------)

At the window in his room facing the front drive, Sirius stood frozen in something very akin to shock.

That had been a man on a broom! He had flown up to Arabella on a broom!

Sirius shook his head....hard.

No. That couldn't be. It was a trick by the shadow of the trees.

But he had seen it. The man had flown right up beside her, and then alighted off the thing like he had been flying on it all his life.

Sirius shook his head again.....harder.

No. People didn't do that. People didn't fly on brooms. Brooms did not fly. It was a trick of the light. The shadows....something.

But......if that's all it was, he reasoned, trying to stay calm, then what was a man doing standing in the drive.....holding a broom?

Sirius wrapped a hand tightly over his eyes, trying to figure out what he had seen and make it make sense. Some sort of simple explanation that didn't equate to him losing his mind completely.

But things had been getting stranger by the day. More and more things happening that he just couldn't explain.

Like with Harry and the snake. Sirius remembered the event from a few days ago. He had come downstairs early one morning and heard voices in the kitchen. Or more....heard 'a' voice, which he quickly identified as Harry. But the teenager was talking like there was someone else in the room, and he spoke as though he was expecting the other person to answer.

Sirius had expected to come around the corner to see Harry on the phone. That would have explained the one-sided conversation easily enough.

But what he saw had him stopping in his tracks and quickly doing a few back-steps to stay out of sight.

Harry was in the kitchen all right. But he wasn't on the phone. Instead, the teenager seemed to be having a very animated conversation....with his snake, Roland. And not just any conversation. Not the way people talk to their pets. Harry had been having a very in depth discussion with the snake. Pausing every so often as though he were waiting for the snake to answer.

But it was what the snake was doing that intrigued Sirius the most. While Harry talked, the little green snake was sitting on the counter, coiled up on his tail, following Harry as he moved about the area in front of the counter. As though he were actually listening to what the teenager was saying. But suddenly the little snake had pulled himself up a bit higher on his coil and seemed to be almost 'sniffing' at something.

At that point the conversation had made a sudden, dramatic change. Harry brought it to a quick abrupt close, patting the little snake on the head as he made an all too 'normal' comment of 'You're a good listener, Roland. Even if you don't talk much.'

At that point Sirius had stepped around the corner and leaned against the door jam. He knew a golden opportunity when it presented itself, and this was certainly one.

"What was the matter?" He had asked casually, trying not to come off as too pressing. "Did he smell me?"

Harry had stood perfectly still for a few seconds. But then a small, nervous smile had appeared on his lips. "What do you mean, Sirius?" The teenager had ask.

"Your snake." He went on, pointing to Roland. "Did he smell me, and that's why he stopped talking?"

Bulls-eye! Sirius watched as the teenager paled at the statement. He hated questioning Harry directly like this on the matter, but like he had said, he knew a golden opportunity, and he wasn't letting this one go. They would tighten their guard if he did. And another chance might be a long time coming.

The teenager gave another nervous smile. "Sirius," he said carefully, "snakes don't talk."

"You were having a pretty intense conversation with him." Sirius commented.

Harry paused again. "Roland is just someone to talk to sometimes, Sirius." The teenager had said. "Like people talk to their dogs, or their cats. He was just sort of a sounding board."

"But you weren't just talking 'at' him, Harry." Sirius pointed out. "You were talking 'to' him."

"Deny everything, Harry!" Roland stated quickly from where he still sat on the counter. "Deny everything and go for help."

Harry's glance momentarily flickered to Roland. Something Sirius didn't miss at all.

"What did he just tell you?" Sirius put in quickly.

The teenager gave a small laugh this time. "Nothing, Sirius. People don't talk to snakes."

Sirius fixed a steady gaze on the boy. "No, Harry. 'People' don't."

Harry reached over and picked Roland up off the counter. "Maybe I should go get Uncle Ori....."

"So he can run interference again?" Sirius cut him off quickly.

"What do you mean?"

"That's what he does, Harry. Every time something unusual happens, my brother shows up with striking regularity to make it all go away."

The teenager said nothing this time, but continued to simply stare up at him.

"I'm not angry, Harry." Sirius had assured him. "I just want answers. I know something is going on around here. I just want to know what."

But anything more he might have gotten was lost with the arrival of his brother on the scene. An opportunity that Harry had taken to leave the room with his snake. And sure enough, the whole matter had been swept aside and was never mentioned again.

Well, Sirius thought, as he stared out the window, maybe he had just found out what 'what' was.

Thinking that maybe he could get some answers out of Arabella if he confronted her with what he had seen, Sirius turned away from the window. But as he turned around, he suddenly found himself face to face with a solid wall of black. Startled, Sirius pulled back a few steps, just as an arm seemed to materialize from the wall of black.

Unsure of what to do, something inside of him suddenly seemed to react to the movement with a will of its own and Sirius ducked beneath the arm that was reaching towards him, dodging it completely as he ran to the other side of the room and turned to face his attacker.

And stopped.

Standing by the window still, half turned towards him as if unsure of where its prey had gone, stood........his ghost.

Sirius suddenly heard opportunity knocking on the door again........loud.

"Wait a minute!" Sirius stated quickly, afraid that at any second the specter would disappear. "Who are you?"

The ghost turned painfully slowly to face him, as though it were unsure if the action was a good idea or not.

"Who are you?" Sirius repeated.

The tall black pillar simply stood staring at him, as though it couldn't quite decide what to do next.

"What's wrong with you?" Sirius ask. "Can't you talk?"

The tower of black suddenly burst into a series of sharp, crisp trills that ended as abruptly as they had started.

Sirius stood in numb fascination at the sound. The chatter the black pillar produced was like a long ago forgotten melody to him. Like something he had dreamed and hadn't remembered until just that moment.

"Just a minute." He said slowly, taking a step towards the tall black pillar. "I know you."

The black pillar turned around fully to face him now, it's arms held in front of it, tapping its cloth covered hands together in a seemingly nervous gesture.

But Sirius was to wrapped up in his elusive memory to pay the black pillar much attention. There was something on the tip of his memory. Something that skirted away every time he got close to it. Near enough to tease him, but staying out of reach.

Something....................

Sirius snapped out of his thoughts just in time to see the tower of black again reaching for him. Dodging it again, he ducked under the robed arm and positioned himself again near the window.

This time the pillar of dark followed his target's movement as best it could, leaning down to look under it's arm, and then turning as it followed the path until it was again facing Sirius.

Sirius raised his hand and ticked his finger at the dark pillar. "Don't try that again." He stated. "I'm not in the mood for games."

The black pillar suddenly seemed to freeze in place for several seconds. Then a soft trill started and the it began bouncing back and forth on what might have been its feet if Sirius could actually see any part of what lay under the black robes it wore. But just as suddenly it raised it arm again and reached out towards Sirius, who again dodged the cloth covered hand as easily as before.

Again he turned to faced his adversary, holding up a hand as he tried to warn it off. "Stay where you are!"

But this time the black pillar moved much quicker, and no sooner had Sirius delivered his warning than the arm was reaching for him again.

Again Sirius dodged the grab and moved his position. And again the pillar moved with him, once more reaching for him even as he turned back to face it.

The space in the room was suddenly becoming far to confining as far as Sirius was concerned. Remaining there, he had little doubt the black pillar stood a good chance of catching him. And still unsure of what its intentions were, Sirius wasn't very keen on letting that happen.

Dodging the arm once more, Sirius this time made a direct line for the door. But the black pillar, whatever it was, was a lot quicker than it looked. No sooner had Sirius dodged under it and made for the door than the thing seemed to literally materialize in the doorway, all but blocking his escape.

Seeing the arm again reaching for him, Sirius pulled down under it and once more managed to slip past the black pillar, making it into the hallway and what he hoped was finally freedom. But no sooner was he in the hallway, looking up to plot his escape route, than he came to a screeching halt.

Five feet in front of him the black pillar stood reaching its arm out towards him again.

"That's impossible!" Sirius stated more to himself than the black pillar. "You were behind me. In the room. There's no way you could have gotten past me."

The black pillar didn't seem to care much about the physical logistics of the situation. With its arm out-stretched, it made for Sirius once more.

Sirius tried once more to dodge past the black pillar, but quickly found his way thwarted as it moved with him this time, reaching down to catch him when he tried to pass. But this time Sirius paused for a fraction of a second, watching for the arm to move up again and then threw himself through the small opening. Landing on the carpet, he executed a quick roll and regained his feet as fast as he could and immediately launch himself onto the banner-rail.

The ride down took seconds as Sirius made the first landing and quickly jumped onto the second banner-rail to take him to the foyer. But no sooner was he on the way down when he reached behind him, trying to grab the slick railing to stop his descent.

Standing at the bottom of the railing. arms held out in front, was the black pillar.

"That just isn't possible!" Sirius whispered to himself, his instincts already looking for a new escape route.

Swinging his leg over to the outside of the banner-rail, he leapt off the side and fell the few remaining feet to the floor. Scrambling to his feet, he looked for the first available exit.

A door loomed before him and he ran for it at top speed.

But his hopes sank as he wretched it open only to find a closet.

And a broom!

Sirius froze for a moment as he stared at the object as though he had never seen one before. But in a split second he grabbed the thing and headed to the open area of the foyer.

"This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!" He repeated over and over again as he dodged the black pillar one more time on his quest for the front door. Then suddenly, in the midst of his mad dash for freedom, a light exploded before him as the front door opened.

And once more that inner feeling seized hold of him and, without even thinking twice, Sirius leapt onto the broom's handle.

And took off.

**Q&A**

ilovesiriusblack:

**Hmm I think Voldemort is lying. Either that or if you attempt to reverse the memory spell you risk pulling Voldemort back in to Sirius's body.  
Has Sirius found Bo's cellar yet?**  
**Old family...Weasley?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.**

Actually, aside from just being plain mean and nasty, Voldemort has nothing to gain by lying. (Shrugges) But that hasn't stopped him yet, so I guess anything is possible.

As with the posting of this chapter, that became a very moot point, Dear. Bo found him.

Nope.

Silverfox:

**"Government employment is a pain. But its steady and relatively safe."  
Not when the actual lawyers in the department are dumping the projects they're too scared to handle on you. Or they're trying to force you into extra work to 'further your career' when all you want is to safely stay with the routine work until retirement. All in all I'm glad I ran and I'll deal with the problems being a bookseller in these times brings. I actually like selling books, you see.  
Yep, looking at what Arabella did just now they can definitely use a strategist. And now Harry's without his portkey ... worrying.**

A BOOKSELLER?! Oh, that is very dangerous information indeed. I hope we never cross paths, Dear. You'll bankrupt me. Booksellers are my drug of choice. Bad, bad, bad addiction.

Oh, come on now! I thought Arabella did pretty good, all things considered. Nobody died anyway.

Well, Harry and company suddenly have a lot more to worry about than a missing portkey.

All reviews are as of 03/22/2009.

And remember;

I'm actually quite pleasant,

Until I'm awake.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: COMING HOME - PART TWO**

Arabella barely had time to get out of the way as the broom sped past her, nearly knocking her down as it zipped past and out the open door, followed closely behind by a flurry of black cloth.

"Sirius!" Arabella screamed, turning around and running back out the door after the two.

Sirius barely heard her as the wind filled his ears, causing the world around him to be silenced by the sound of rushing water crashing in around him.

He held onto the broom's handle for dear life, trying to reconcile what was happening while he was trying desperately not to fall off. But the broom seemed to have a mind of its own, and flying with him on top of it didn't seem part of the plan at all. With his legs wrapped tightly around the thin stick and his fingers hanging onto the upper handle in a white-knuckled grip, he focused solely on trying to simply stay attached to the broom.

All the while the black pillar, which until now, like him, had been earthbound, floated around him as though it were trying to figure out what exactly he was doing.

Something Sirius desperately wished he knew himself.

But again, something purely instinctual suddenly grabbed hold of his senses, directing him in what needed to be done. Forcing down his fear, Sirius honed in on the feeling, and, following it, shifted his weight and managed to balanced himself enough that he could finally right the broom.

Now flying on top of the broom rather than hanging underneath it, and no longer fearing each passing second would be his last, Sirius took stock of his situation. The black pillar, for whatever reason, did not seem to be interested in hurting him, but more in simply observing for the moment. But he had other problems to occupy him now. Flying at a slight angle, he was gaining ground and altitude far too fast. The air was getting colder and he was losing sight of the house.

Shifting his weight again, he found turning the broom wasn't nearly as difficult as he had thought, and he was soon headed back to the house at a more moderate pace.

A much slower, duller pace, he soon decided.

Next to him the black pillar also seemed to be gliding along at a leisurely pace, watching him as it floated along side.

Sirius gave it a wicked grin.

"Hey, Spooky!" He called to his companion. "Wanna play a game? It's called 'Catch'."

Again, honing in on that inner instinct that had guided him thus far, Sirius quickly discovered that by laying his body close to the handle, he could pick up speed, and placing his feet against the top of the broom's sweeping bristles gave him even more maneuverability. Factors that soon had him practicing more and more advanced moves with his new found ability, swooping down towards the ground and then pulling up suddenly and shooting straight up into the early evening sky.

Behind him, the black pillar now looked more like a black arrow as it sped after him.

Speeding through the cool evening air, Sirius couldn't begin to think of anything that adequately described the feeling. Looking down, he didn't feel the slightest fear of being so high up in the air, supported by nothing but a stick of wood. Something that shouldn't be supporting him at all. In fact, all that he felt was elated. It simply felt.....right.

That was the word..........'Right'.

With a cry of pure joy, he took off again, speeding down the drive toward the house at break-neck speed, and pulling up at the last second and zipping over the roof of the house and into the back yard. The black pillar in close pursuit.

Standing in front of the house, watching his brother head towards them on the broom, Orion was sure he was going to crash right into the front door. But suddenly the broom pulled up and Sirius soared up over the roof and again disappeared.

Minutes earlier he had received a frantic call from Arabella at his office, telling him he had to come home right away. There was trouble. Very bad trouble.

Orion had apparated home in seconds, only to appear in front of the house to see his brother speeding across the sky on the back of a broom.

"What in the name of magic is going on!?" He shouted. "What is Sirius doing on a broom!? He doesn't even know how to fly one anymore!"

"He actually seems to be doing pretty well." Arabella replied in a masked calm voice. "And I have no idea where he got it. He just nearly knocked me down with it when I opened the front door."

Orion watched as Sirius leapt the broom over the house, followed closely behind by a streak of black cloth.

"Bo!"

The boggart pulled up to a screeching halt in midair.

"Get your cloth-covered backside down here......NOW!"

Instantly the boggart appeared at his Channeler's side.

"What in the name of magic do you think you were doing!?"

The boggart hurried into a series of gestures, all of which Orion frowned at deeply.

"You were suppose to be 'watching' him...," Orion stated in a near shout. "...not PLAYING with him!" He pointed up to where Sirius, having come back around the house, was executing a very well performed loop. "Get him down. Now!"

The boggart turned to look up where Sirius was.

"Bo." Orion spoke up suddenly, "Get him down 'safely'." He added, with emphasis on the last word.

The boggart studied his Channeler for a moment as though carefully processing the request, then turned his attention once more to Sirius and his high flying acrobatics.

Up in the air, Sirius leaned over the side of the broom and immediately spotted his old adversary once again. A purely mischievous smile crossed his lips.

'Time for a little payback.' he thought as he spun the broom around and aimed it directly at where the small group was standing.

Or more accurately, at where the black pillar was standing.

Zipping down, Sirius ringed the group several times.

"Catch me now, Spooky!" He yelled at the black pillar, laughing just as loudly as he circled them again.

Orion calmly turned to the boggart. "You heard him." He said. "'Catch him'."

Watching as the broom came around to circle them once more, Bo suddenly reached up his arm and pointed a thin, cloth covered finger at the broom.

Heading directly toward the group, Sirius found himself instead suddenly flying over the front of the broom and landing in a heap on the ground.

Arabella immediately ran over to help him up while Orion simply stood his ground, waiting for Sirius to regain his footing.

Stumbling back up to his feet with Arabella's help, Sirius immediately made his way over to where the black pillar patiently stood.

"Well, guess you showed me, huh, Spooky?"

The boggart blew a loud huff out from under his cloth covered face.

"Ah, don't like it very much when someone gets the best of you, hey?"

"No." Orion stated slowly. "He dislikes being called 'Spooky'. His name, is 'Bo'."

Sirius quickly shifted his attention to his brother. "Well, the least you could do is act just a little surprised."

"I am." Orion replied in the same level voice. "I'm surprised you would do anything so stupid! What if someone saw you?!"

Sirius studied his brother for a moment. "You don't find any of this even remotely strange, do you?" He finally said as more of a statement than a question.

Orion met his stare. "Why should I? You've been on the back of a broom since Mom bought you your first one. Dad practically had to bribe you to stay off of it long enough to eat and sleep."

Sirius continued to scrutinize the man before him. "You knew about this."

Orion kept his expression completely neutral. "I'm your brother, Sirius. What do you think?"

Sirius began to feel like he was being told nothing more than what Orion wanted to tell him, just as it had been for the past several weeks. "I'll tell you what I think." He stated in a low, heated tone. "I think I want to know what's going on here."

Orion continued to keep an expressionless stare fixed on his younger brother. "And that tone of voice isn't going to get you any answers any faster." He stated firmly. "But if you'll just listen to me for a minute....."

Sirius took a step back. "No. I've been listening to you for weeks, Orion. And all I've ever heard is what you wanted me to. Now, I'm done with half truths." He stated, his voice rising with each word. "I want to know what's going on.....and I want to know now!"

"Sirius," Orion replied in the same maddeningly calm tone, "you need to calm down. There's no reason to get...."

"Calm down?!" Sirius all but screamed back at him. "You want me to calm down!? I just flew a broom around the yard, Orion. And you want me to calm down?"

"It would certainly help."

Arabella stepped forward as well, trying to add to Orion's call for calm. "Sirius, if you'll just listen to us. We can explain this to you."

Sirius crossed his arms tightly over his chest. "Were you a part of this?" He ask her directly.

Arabella froze for a moment. "There was no 'part of this', Sirius. What we did we did for your own good. There were things about your life you just weren't ready to face yet."

"Like being able to fly a broom?"

Arabella paused for a moment before answering. "Among other things, yes."

Sirius latched onto the comment immediately. "Among 'other' things?"

Orion sighed quietly to himself as Sirius fixed his stare on him again.

"What does that mean?" He asked. "'Among other things'?"

"It means it's time we step back inside." Orion replied, already turning back towards the house. "This isn't a conversation I planned on having this afternoon, and I certainly didn't plan on having it in my driveway."

**Q&A**

ilovesiriusblack:

**Brilliant, absolutely brilliant loved every word.**  
**Had kind of forgotten that they wouldn't be able to talk to each other and I guess Sirius couldn't remember not to say the g word.  
I do hope Sirius doesn't fall off his broom. I must admit I have no idea how they are going to deal with this one. Poor Bo I bet he gets the blame for it.  
McGonnagal?  
Looking forward to the next chapter**

Thank you, Dear. Beats loving every other word. (Little PAR joke there. See, I made a funny!)

Unfortunately one of the parts of this particular memory that didn't make it to the starting gate was 'how' to communicate with Bo, and absolutely to never say the 'g' word in front of him, to him, or in any way remotely connected to him. Wouldn't have made that much difference though. The only one who can really communicate proficiently with Bo, is Orion. Sirius only knows a few basic signs. Sort of an 'enough to get by' thing. To Sirius, Bo was just 'there'. To Orion, he was teacher, friend, and confidant.

Well, sort of yes and no. But it wasn't really his fault. Someone said the 'g' word, and, well.........., he responded.

We're going to go through the whole cast here, aren't we, Dear? And 'no'.

Silverfox:  
***grin* It'll be cheaper for you to buy English books at home, though. Trust me on that. You ever happen to be in Austria and feel like buying a German, book, though ...  
Nobody died, no, but seriously, paying a social visit to Voldemort?  
I knew Sirius would start remembering things once he saw magic!**

(Sigh) Always looking for a new outlet. Oh well.

Well, it wasn't so much a social visit as searching for information. And poor Arabella. No sooner does she return home than she finds out it was all for naught anyway.

Well, he has a long way to go.

MasterLupin:

**Now Sirius knows that something is up. I think is next step will be to hound Harry, as he as identified him as the weak link in this facade of his reality. Then proceed to figure out what is happening. Bo, I think, may yet be the cure to Sirius' ailment.**

Well, Sirius doesn't actually have to 'hound' anybody now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag, so to speak. But Harry will be a good 'source' for Sirius to relearn a lot of his history. But Harry will have to be very careful what he tells Sirius and 'how' he tells him certain things.

I can tell you without reservation that Bo is not the cure to Sirius' ailment. More than that I can't say. I mean, whose to say there is a cure at all?

All reviews are as of 04/05/2009.

And remember;

Sorry to have missed last week. PAR had to take a very long drive to Miami last week to audition for America's Got Talent. (Yes, I do that.) Second time. Did it last year in January. Was I picked? No.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as legal property) are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as owner of said legal property). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as other) for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: TELLING TRUTHS

Orion wasnt three feet in the house when Sirius went on the offensive again.

All right, were out of the drive. Theres no one about to overhear. So I think its about time you tell me exactly whats going on.

Where would you like me to start? Orion ask, turning to face his brother as the tower of dark robes appeared next to him.

Sirius immediately turned his attention to the familiar shape. You can start with him. He stated, pointing a finger at the boggart. You told me he was a figment of my imagination.

Well, he obviously isnt.

Obviously. Sirius replied, watching the creature standing next to his brother. You dont seem afraid of him. He commented after a moment, watching as the tall black pillar seemed to find something interesting on top of Orions head and reached over to pluck at it.

Of Bo? Orion answered in surprise. Why should I be? Will you stop that! He added quickly, slapping the boggarts cloth covered head away from the top of his head.

The boggart pulled back quickly, and, after only a seconds hesitation, reached out and gave Orion a good skimming whack in return across the top of his head.

Orion turned a stern look at the boggart, who was now observing something with great interest on the ceiling.

Is he dangerous? Sirius ask.

Dangerous? Orion replied, sounding scandalized by the question. He isnt the least bit dangerous. Childish, perhaps, he added, giving the boggart a smug look, but not dangerous.

What is he? Sirius asked, again looking the tall, black pillar over carefully. Is he a ghost?

The pillar of black responded to the question as though Sirius had reached out a slapped him, drawing back quickly as though the word was a physical blow. Orion turned to him just as the boggart started into a series of wild looking gestures and gave him a quick pat on the arm.

All right now, he stated in a soothing tone, dont go on about it. He doesnt remember anything, right? So its not his fault.

Remember what?

Orion turned back to his brother. Bo really hates being called anything other than his name. And he really, REALLY hates being referred to as anything other than what he is, a boggart. And calling him a ghost is akin to a personal insult to him.

A boggart. Sirius stated, trying the word out. So hes not a.....one of those other things?

A ghost. No. And its all right to say the word. Just not in connection to him.

Is he the reason I can fly? Sirius asked.

Orion gave him a quizzical look. The reason?

You know. He expanded on the concept. Like having a magical charm or something. But Sirius quickly recounted the idea. No. That wouldnt explain the other man.

Other man? Orion asked.

Sirius fixed his gaze on his older brother. I was standing at my window a short while ago, and I saw a man fly up to Arabella on a broom.

Ill kill him! Came the short, venomous statement from behind him.

Turning Sirius saw Arabellas expression shift quickly from anger to embarrassment.

Orion shifted his attention just as quickly to her. What man? He asked.

Brian Tanner. She stated, none to pleased sounding. He came buzzing up the drive when I.......was just getting home. He said he had a message for you.

What message?

He didnt say. When he ask for you I told him you were out and he said that it could wait.

Sirius was about to try and get things back to the matters at hand when a knock suddenly sounded on the door.

With an exacerbated sigh, he went to open the door, wondering if Tanner had decided the message couldnt wait after all and had returned to deliver it.

But upon opening the door, Orion was met by the bright green robes and long white beard of Hogwarts headmaster.

A very good afternoon to you, Mr. Black. I had heard you had just returned home and was stopping by for a visit. I wondered how things were progressing?

Orion was rarely ever happy to see his former headmaster at his house. It usually meant a tea hour that could stretch into the whole of the afternoon. But for once, he was truly happy to see the old wizard. Even more so than wondering what Dumbledore had meant by having heard he had just returned home.

Professor Dumbledore! Orion exclaimed, grabbing the old mans offered hand and dragging him into the front foyer by it. I believe you might be just the person to sort out a small matter thats come up.

Dumbledore surveyed the sight before him as he entered the house. Two curious pairs of eyes greeted him while Bo stood looking for all the world like a small child caught with his hand in the biscuit jar.

Dumbledore turned slowly back to Orion. Boggart been acting up again, has he?

Who are you? Sirius stated suddenly. Can you fly a broom, too?

Dumbledore turned back around at the question, then turned slowly back to Orion again. Ah. Not the boggart this time then?

Orion shook his head.

Dumbledore turned back around to face Sirius. Well, in my younger days, I was thought to be quite good on a broom, Mr. Black. He stated with a slight smile. But Im afraid these days I prefer a good, safe apparation to traveling by broom. As to your first question, my name is Albus Dumbledore.

Sirius stared down at the old man, waiting for him to say something more.

Is that suppose to mean something to me? He ask finally.

Apparently not yet. The old man replied. But it will. Dumbledore turned back to Orion. If you wouldnt mind, Mr. Black.....it has been a most long morning for me, and Im afraid these old bones feel a touch of rain in the air. Might you have a comfortable place to sit down? For I fear I shall be here a while.

Orion led the headmaster and the others into the large sitting room off the first corridor, and sent Bo off to tell Tets to get tea for everyone, but to let Bo bring it into the room. He didnt think Sirius was ready for a house elf yet. And especially not Tets.

As Dumbledore settled into one of the wing-backed chairs, Sirius took a seat at one end of the sofa while Arabella cautiously took a place at the other. Orion took the chair opposite Dumbledores.

Now, perhaps someone might explain what prompted the younger Mr. Blacks questions about flying brooms? Dumbledore started.

Arabella related the story of Brian Tanner coming up the drive on the broom. Sirius was quick to take over, stating he had seen the man fly in on the broom, and even though he tried to discount it as a trick of the light, that explanation didnt do much to explain away why a man was standing in the drive holding a broom. Orion finished the story with the episode with the boggart.

Dumbledore listened in silence as each person in turn added their part, finally turning back to Sirius.

So this is not any indication that your memory is actually returning. He stated.

Sirius started to answer, but stopped himself as he recalled something. While I was up in my room, he stated, when I turned around and saw the....boggart...I thought for a second I did remember him. Like a brief shadow of something. But before I could sort it out, he was chasing me around the house.

And how did you come to be on the back of a broom? Dumbledore inquired.

Sirius thought for a moment. I dont know really. He said slowly, still thinking over the events in his mind. I needed a way to escape. I had no idea what the...boggart... want, and I was looking for a way to get away. Suddenly I remembered seeing the man in the drive, holding the broom. I thought it was worth a shot. I opened a closet, grabbed one of the brooms in there and.....it took off. With me on it. He added quickly.

I see. Dumbledore replied with a bemused smile. And how did it feel, flying the broom around in the air?

Sirius remembered the feeling all too well. It was......exhilarating! He stated with a smile. I felt like.....like I had done it before. Like it was just second nature to me to be able to fly like that.

And of that, I have no doubt, Sirius. For flying to you was second nature.

But why? Sirius ask earnestly. And why was I able to fly it at all?

I suppose the best place to start, Sirius, is, as they say, at the beginning. Dumbledore replied with a small smile. I told you my name was Albus Dumbledore.

Sirius nodded in response.

I am currently the headmaster at a school called Hogwarts. Does that name mean anything to you?

Sirius rolled the name over in his mind. But it didnt spark a single recollection for him. He turned back to the headmaster of the school and shook his head.

Should it? He asked.

Hogwarts, Sirius, is where you went to school. Dumbledore went on. Where you learned to fly a broom. Hogwarts, you see, is a school for witches and wizards. Its where you learned to master your skills....as a wizard.

A what? Sirius asked, his tone raising slightly.

A wizard, Sirius. You, to put it plainly, are a wizard. The lovely Miss Figg, sitting next to you, is a witch. Your brother, another wizard.

Sirius considered the information given to him. And I suppose youre a wizard too?

I wouldnt say its very logical for me to know all this if I werent, would you?

Sirius smiled slightly at the old mans glib sense of humor. No, sir. I suppose not.

Well, besides knowing how to fly a broom, is there anything else you remember?

Sirius thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Well, perhaps things have happened, as they say, for the best. Now that you have been reintroduced to a large part of who you are, perhaps we can begin to build on that. And I would think the best place to start is to begin your education again as a wizard. But, well need a teacher. And for that, I can think of no one more eminently qualified, Mr. Black..., Dumbledore stated, turning to Orion, ...than your boggart.

Orion was all set to accept the mantel of teacher for Sirius. But Dumbledores choice stopped him in a half rise from his chair. Bo!? He stated in disbelief.

Dumbledore turned to him with a pleasant smile. As I recall, Mr. Black, you arrived at Hogwarts already quite adept in charms and wards. I shouldnt think I would have to go very far to find out who your teacher had been. The old wizard stated. And although he is a bit older than you were at the time of your lessons, I dont think teaching the younger Mr. Black should prove an insurmountable task for your boggart.

Dumbledore turned to where Bo was standing, who, with his arms clasp in front of him, looked for all the world as though he were seriously mulling over the offer. But finally the boggart glided over to where Sirius was sitting on the sofa and, lifting a hand, patted him lightly on the head.

Good. Stated Dumbledore in approval. With that settled then, I think I should be on my way.

But Sirius quickly rose with the old man. Sir, exactly what is it Im suppose to be learning?

Why, how to be a wizard again, Sirius. Dumbledore explained. The result of your.....accident, was that you forgot the most crucial part of your life. That you were a wizard and that you were capable of doing magic.

Magic?

Like flying a broom. Not many muggles can fly a broom that Im aware of.

Muggles?  
Those people who are not magically inclined, Sirius. And dont worry too much about the many blanks in your scope that need filling in. I am sure Miss Figg and your brother will be more than capable of helping you on that point. And as you restart your education, the more you reconnect with your past, the more, I believe, you will remember. Your relearning magic should be an excellent starting point to prodding your memories to return.

My accident. Sirius stated, causing Dumbledore to stop on his way to the door and turn back around. Was that actually due to a car crash?

Dumbledore seem to consider how to answer. Why would you ask?

It doesnt seem logical. He answered. If I can fly a broom, why would I be driving a car?

A very logical reasoning indeed. Dumbledore replied, casting a quick glance behind Sirius to Orion, as though considering his answer. But finally the old wizard pulled himself up a bit straighter as he turned to fully face the man now before him. Sirius, there are some things about your life that you do not remember now, but are key to what happened to you. What you are suffering from is not, as you suspect, due to a car accident. It is, rather, due to a spell placed on you that wiped your memory clean. This is why you cant remember your past, your family, or anything connected to the world you lived in all of your life. But reintroducing you to that world I will leave to Miss Figg and your brother. They know you best and can do the best job of helping you recall memories. As for your accident, the most important thing I can tell you about that is that from it, you must realize, that you have some very powerful enemies. In not telling you the truth about your past, it was from these very enemies that your brother and Miss Figg sought to protect you. I can only hope that in the future, until you are better re-acclimated to living in the wizarding world, that you will continue to listen to Orion and Miss Figg, and follow their advice as to what is best for you. Your enemies are still out there, Sirius. And when they learn their plans did not come to the end they had hoped, they will undoubtedly look for the opportunity to strike at you again. Miss Figg and your brother, however, are both very adept, I assure you , at protecting you, if you will but let them.

And with that, Sirius watched as the old wizard ambled out the door, followed closely behind by Orion, who showed him to the front door.

Once they had left the room, Sirius turned slowly to Arabella, who was standing now behind him looking both nervous and apologetic.

We werent trying to hurt you, Sirius. She said quickly. Like Dumbledore said, we were trying to protect you.

From what? He asked simply. What is out there that is so dangerous to me I need protecting from it.

Arabella seemed to consider her answer very carefully. The person who did this to you, Sirius, is a very powerful, very dark wizard. He is such a powerful, feared person, that in our community, most people wont even say his name.

And what gained me such a highly prized place on his list of things to do?

Arabella shrugged slightly at his question. What earns most people that place. You refused to do what he wanted.

Which was?

Mostly? Serve him.

Sirius frowned slightly at the information. Whats this wizards name?

Arabella paused for a moment. Vol.....

...demort. Sirius suddenly broke in, finished for her. His name...is Voldemort.

Q&A

First off, sorry for the delay, folks. And before anyone gets on me about this chapter, allow me to say straight off, I didnt like it much either. But after weeks of trying to fit it together to try and make it say what I wanted, I figured it was about as good as it was gonna get, so I left it at this.

MasterLupin:

****

Well I know that Sirius will be cured simply because you have stated that you felt that when he is killed in the book it was needlessly done for shock factor. Well if he can't remember himself then is he really alive? I would say no, imagine if you couldn't remember what made you, you? Would you say you were truly alive?  
I still think that Sirius will be using Harry to find out what Orion is up to.

Well, I wouldnt discredit someones existence based solely on whether they can remember their life or not. The past may be forgotten, but the person most definitely goes on.

I dont know that Sirius is so interested anymore in what Orion is up to as much as just trying to piece his past together now.

ilovesiriusblack:

****

The worst thing you can say to an angry person is tell them to calm down it just makes it worse. I can't wait to find out how Orion talks himself out of this one. I wonder if he'll tell Sirius that they don't get on.I doubt it.  
Did you have fun at your audition? Britains got talent is starting again next Saturday, it is in my opinion the best thing on tv.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Like waving a red flag at a bull, Dear. Sure enough.

Actually, believe it or not, Orion is hoping that with things the way they are, he and Sirius can leave that part of their past behind them. Whether or not they can remains to be seen.

What can I say? I got up at 2:30AM, drove to Miami in a rented car, waited in line, had to do the whole wave at the camera thing (I hid behind a palm tree - hate waving at the camera.), waited in the holding room for a few hours, finally got into the audition room, stood in front of the camera, stared right into it........, and start my song a whole octave lower than I was suppose to.

Have you ever done something that from the very first second you knew you were, what a friend of mine likes to refer to as, screwed, blued, and tattooed?

That was me, dear.

I have seen and heard (Hey! Who hasnt at this point?!) Susan Boyle of Britains Got Talent. Now that lady can SING! I sincerely hope she wins. And she is hope for me. I always figured I didnt have a chance anymore because of my age. But hey! Shes older than me! Woohoo!

But the whole point really is to be seen. Winning is nice, but being seen and getting work based on your talent because you were on that show is even better.

Lexa:

****

Loved the chapter! Can't wait for the next one. Sirius is finally somewhat starting to remember whats going on. I wonder what Harry would of done if he saw his godfather riding around the yard on a broom lol. Keep up the awesome work...and like I said before can't wait for the next chapter!! :)

Sirius is definitely starting to remember. And good thing for the others, because they are going to rely a great deal on his help in the coming chapters.

Probably grabbed the Firebolt and challenged him to a race.

Awesome? Wow! Thanks, Dear.

All reviews are as of 05/03/2009.

And remember;

Hula dance: A shake in the grass.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as legal property) are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as owner of said legal property). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as other) for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.****

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: BACK TO WORK

The next several days passed in a whirlwind of activity for Sirius. When he wasnt cloistered away in some room with the boggart, trying to relearn how to cast spells, he was busy with Arabella and Harry, relearning everything about the world he had lived his whole life in. A world mostly set apart from the one he thought he had lived in.

Lessons with Bo proved to be the most draining aspect of his days. Where as the boggart proved to be an infallibly patient teacher, it was proving to be a considerable challenge for Sirius to take lessons from someone who didn't talk. He had, over the past several days learned several of the boggart's hand signals. But these mostly went along the lines of one word phrases; right, wrong, yes, no, again. But he was also learning to read the boggart, beginning to almost instinctively know what he wanted him to do.

Once his lessons were over for the day, Sirius found his greatest learning resource to be in the houses library, where he would spend hours at night reading over old spell books and copying down spells he wanted to try out the next day with Bo.

Occasionally things would go array, as he supposed they were apt to when dealing with magic on a novices level. Twice he had set things on fire he had not meant to. Once had been the book he was reading late one night and deciding to try out a fire casting spell he found, and the other had been the boggart's robes the prior morning during one of their lessons.

Sirius thought he had finally found his teacher's tolerance level as the boggart flew about the room several times, beating at the flames until he finally materialized a large bucket of water and threw it over himself.

For several moments a very wet boggart and a very apologetic looking Sirius simply stood and stared at each other, though Sirius was fighting with everything he had in him not to laugh. But finally Bo had extended a cloth covered hand, pointing back to the spell book on the table, which meant Sirius had performed a spell incorrectly and he was to try again. But past that, the boggart had seemed to think no more of it.

Sirius could still sense there was something it seemed that the others were holding back on, but as busy as he was being kept trying to relearn his life, he didnt have a lot of time to worry about it.

He had questioned Arabella about the dark wizard who had robbed him of his memory. He still wasnt sure how the name had come to him initially. It just seemed to spring into his mind as soon as he heard just the first letters from Arabella. She had given him a brief overview of Voldemort and his ongoing war with seemingly anything and anybody who didn't conform to his way of thinking. A group that Sirius seemed to be at the head of. Arabella had warned him that until he was much more comfortable with his magic ability again, he was never to leave the house without someone with him. That Deatheaters, the followers of the dark wizard, could be anywhere.

Perhaps the only part of his past that surprised him was something that both Arabella and Orion had only briefly touched on, and that Harry hadnt seemed to want to talk about at all. That being his apparent criminal past. Arabella had been the one to tell him the most detailed story of this part of his life. She had said the matter was still somewhat in question with certain members of the wizarding community. That while some people knew full well and good he was innocent, others simply would never accept it, and that the matter had yet to be completely settled.

But as she related the story, Sirius could feel her watching and waiting for something. Though for what, he wasn't certain. Perhaps for some spark of memory of this nightmarish part of his life that encompassed so many years. He had known Arabella hadn't wanted to tell him at all. He had heard she and Orion fighting about it late one night, with Arabella hanging adamantly onto the insistence that this particular part of his past should stay buried, while Orion insisted that if they were going to tell him his past, they should tell him everything. Not excluding parts simply because they were unpleasant. And, after having heard even what he was sure was the condensed version of his time in prison, Sirius wasnt so sure that Arabella didnt have the right idea. Some things were better left in the past.

But even though it was without doubt the most unsettling part of his past he had yet to face, Sirius was determined to deal with it for what it was - past. It was what it was and he couldnt change it. And trying was a fools pursuit. Especially when his present was enough for him to try and keep up with.

A point that was driven home even more so several days later when, seated at the breakfast table with is brother, a small fire leapt to life in the center of the table, barely preceded by a short, shrill alarm bell.

Taking up a large spoonful of oatmeal from the bowl in front of him, Orion didn't even bother to look up at the small, fiercely glowing fire.

"Morning, Orin." He stated flatly.

The face of Orin Bale materialized in the fire. "Good. Youre up. Saves me the trouble of listening to at least one excuse as to why youre going to be late."

This time Orion looked up. "Late?" He inquired. "For what?"

"Meeting. My office. Five minutes. Please leave the oatmeal at the table."

Orion gave the figure in the fire an irritated stare. "In case youve forgotten, Im suppose to be at home right now, watching over Sirius."

"I'm sure Arabella............"

"Is off to Diagon Alley. Some book shes ordered came in yesterday and shes off this morning to fetch it."

Bale seemed to consider the situation for a moment. "Well, then." He finally stated. "I need you in my office. You need to keep your brother in sight. I would suggest combining the two activities."

"Combining?"

"Bring him along. Man must be bored out of his mind right now. Probably find it monumentally entertaining."

"Bring him along?" He ask in disbelief. Orin Bale had raised the concept of security to heights that made most things done under so called security at the Ministry look like a positive open book.

Bale read the look on his agents face easily. "Sirius is an excellent strategist, Orion. I could use one of those with this particular problem."

Orion sighed to himself. "My brother is hardly in any condition to start contracting himself out to the Department of Mysteries."

"Your brother, Orion, as stated, is an excellent strategist. Nothing dealing with his memory is going to change that. Its a talent he was born with. Not one he developed suddenly. Id like to hear his ideas on this matter."

Orion sighed again. Orin had his answers already lined up, so Orion knew arguing was pointless.

"All right." He said. "We'll be there shortly."

The face in the fire disappeared while the fire itself flared up momentarily, then quickly disappeared with a small pop.

"So that's your boss?" Sirius ask as he and Orion got up from the table.

Orion nodded as they headed for the front room. "Ring any bells for you?" He ask, turning to Sirius for a moment as he picked up a small jar from beside the fireplace.

Sirius shook his head.

"Lucky you." His brother replied.

Sirius was eyeing the jar with a great deal of consternation. "Can't we just fly there?" He ask, as Orion took a handful of grayish powder out of the jar. He had heard about floo powder from Harry, who seemed to harbor no great love for the substance, nor its effects.

"Take too long." Orion explained. "And Bale seemed impatient. The less delay, the better."

"Well, what about Bo? Can't he send us there?" Sirius ask.

Orion turned to his brother. "What's the matter with you?"

Sirius pointed to the jar. "I've heard about this stuff, and Im none too eager to make its acquaintance."

"You've been talking to Harry." Orion reasoned out quickly. "Look, it's not that bad. Little disorienting maybe..........."

Sirius took a step back. "Arabella said wizards can apparate to places. We could do that."

"You don't know how to apparate yet." Orion reminded him. "And its worse than floo powder if I have to apparate you with me."

"Then let Bo do it. He seems perfectly capable of doing magic."

Orion sighed to himself once more. Harry must have spent an inordinate amount of time on the effects of floo powder with Sirius. And he didnt have time to argue with him.

"Bo!" He called.

The boggart instantly appeared in the front room, cloth covered hands folded in front of him.

"Bo, we need to go to Orin Bale's office." He told the boggart.

Bo stood for a moment, then lifted one cloth covered hand to point at the jar of floo powder Orion still held in his hands.

"Someone's decided he doesn't like to travel by floo powder." Orion explained evenly.

The boggart consider the information, then reached out and carefully patted Orion on his head.

"Not me, you walking pile of dirty laundry!" He stated firmly. "Harry's been talking to Sirius."

The boggart made a sound that could only be described as a sort of stifled laugh.

"Just saved the amusement and send us to Orin Bale's office, please." Orion said. "And no funny stuff, detours, or anything else. Just straight to Orin Bale's office, all right?"

The boggart paused, then reached over and gently patted Sirius on his head.

In the next instance, they vanished.

If there were any reviews, they would have been as of 05/10/2009.

And remember;

This Mothers Day, do something that'll really make mom happy. Go have kids of your own.

Happy Mothers Day to my own very special mother. Love from your youngest.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as legal property) are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as owner of said legal property). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as other) for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.****

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: A PAYCHECK IS A GOOD THING

Arriving in Bales office, Orion couldnt shake the feeling something about what was going on wasnt right. Orin knew Sirius feelings on the Department of Mysteries. And if, by chance, he had happened to forget, Sirius had always been more than ready to refresh his memory.

And in light of that, why was Bale so eager to get Sirius involved? His superior certainly didnt count his brother as an enemy, but he also didnt exactly consider him a friend.

No. Something wasnt right. And whereas Orion had always appreciated Bales stand that Sirius was innocent during his time in Azkaban, he still wasnt about to stand by and watch his brother dragged into something that could prove to be more than Sirius could handle in his present condition. In a magical fight, Sirius would be a sitting duck. Orion wasnt about to let him be put in that position.

Once they all were seated, Bale wasted no time in getting down to the matter at hand.

"We had a report today from one of our muggle contacts at the police department. A body was found outside of London in a field. No apparent causes that they could find, and no evidence left behind. Not even footprints aside from the victims. Although he has no proof any of our people were involved, he felt he should report it to the Ministry."

"And." Orion asked plainly.

"From the man's description of things, we felt it was worth a check. And he was right on. There was a magical trace there when our lads checked the area."

"Let me guess." Orion put in quickly. "It was exactly the same as from the killings before."

Bale nodded gravely. "There were some minor differences, but essentially the same."

"The body was left in an open field?" Sirius inquired. "That's rather bold for a killer. Not to even try to conceal his crime."

"The man we believe may be responsible for these killings feels hes above the law." Orion explained to his brother. "To him the concept of the law is just a nasty little inconvenience."

"Sounds a bit sure of himself."

"He has every right to be." Bale answered solemnly. "This wizard, Heudros, yielded a great deal of power. Enough that even Voldemort took notice of him and considered him a threat to his own power base."

Sirius considered the information for a minute. "Well, with all due respect," he replied finally, staring across the desk at Orions superior, "I fail to see what Im even doing here or what you think I can do to help. I'm only just able to use a wand again, and the spells I can do are still pretty elementary. I can't even apparate yet."

Bale gave the man sitting in the chair a small smile. One that made Orion increasingly nervous. "It isn't your magical skill Im interested in." He answered in a casual tone. "It's another skill you have that I feel we may need here. One that you were very adept at the last I heard."

"Which would be?"

"You're a strategist, Sirius. One of the best I've ever seen. You can out think most people faster than they can come up with ideas on their own. I could use someone who can think three steps ahead of Heudros. Reason out what his next move might be."

"Don't you have your own people who can do that?"

"I said three steps, Sirius." Bale repeated. "Most of my people can think one or two steps ahead of their opponent. But you were the best I had ever heard of. A natural, if you will. I'd like Orion to brief you on what he knows about this matter. Bring you up to speed, as it were." Orin stated. "Once youve got the background, I'd like to hear your opinion of the matter. What you think this mans next move might be."

Orion didn't like the look on Sirius face as Bale was talking to him. It was as animated as he had seen it since he had lost his memory. Not only was Sirius interested in Bales proposal, but the merest mention of making use of his old skill had lit a fire in him Orion hadnt seen in his brothers eyes in weeks.

"So," Bale asked, keeping his gazed fixed on Sirius, "are you interested, Mr. Black?"

Orion had hoped Sirius would at least take a few moments to consider what Bale was asking him to do. But apparently along with the awakening fire of old skill coming back, a spark had jumped over and lit the kindling on his reckless nature as well.

"If you think I can be of any use in stopping this man, than Id be glad to help in any way I can." He replied.

"Excellent. Your brother can start familiarizing you with the case. As soon as you have any ideas, I'd like to hear them."

Sirius gave the man a brief nod as he got to his feet, but quickly noted that Orion wasnt following suit, his eyes still fixed on the man behind the desk.

"Are you coming?" Sirius ask Orion.

But it was Bale who quickly answered. "Orion and I have a few other matters to discuss, Sirius. He won't be long. You can wait in the outside room or I can have one of the lads send you home by portkey."

"Bo can take him home." Orion stated flatly.

Sirius cast a quick glance back at the man behind the desk, meeting the same pleasant smile as the boggart instantly materialized next to Orion.

"Take Sirius home, Bo." He instructed him. "I'll be along in a little bit."

The boggart turned to Sirius, and in an instant both disappeared.

Alone now in his office with Orion, Bale gave a deep sigh as he got up and walked around his desk, his attention never leaving the man still sitting in front of him. "All right, let's hear it."

"Why my brother?" Orion asked plainly.

"Pardon?"

"Why bring Sirius into this, Orin? You know how he feels about the department."

The small, maddening smile remained in place. "Currently he seems to like us just fine."

Orion simply stared back at the man.

Bale seated himself on the edge of his desk. "From what youve told me about this Heudros, Orion, hes a very dangerous man with a lot of power at his disposal."

"A power base we disrupted."

"Disrupted, but didn't destroy."

"We scattered his followers, Orin. Especially his lieutenants. The ones that were supplying him with his power."

"Well, he seems to have found a few of them again, hasn't he? Or at the very least, recruited new ones.

Now, as I stated before, your brother is a crack strategist. Something I could seriously use right now. And suddenly, here's an opportunity that's been handed to me. Why should I pass it up?"

"You're using Sirius simply because he doesn't remember that normally he wouldn't tell you so much as the time of day?"

"Im using a resource thats been given to me, Orion, to stop a man who has, in the past, shown himself not above killing anyone who gets in his way.

My point exactly. Orion stated, his temper rising along with his voice. A man willing to kill. And who uses magic to do it. If Sirius were to meet up with Heudros, or he were to come looking for him, Sirius is in no position to defend himself yet.

And I''m perfect well aware of your brothers.....limitations, Orion. Im not proposing sending him to the front lines of this battle by any means."

"Then where exactly does Sirius fit into your plans?"

"For the duration, as far as Im concerned, no more or less than what I've presented. I simply want to....pick his brain....for lack of a better term."

Orion was starting to feel himself being backed into a corner. He had never told Orin the full story of what happened on his last mission, carefully omitting any details about the true source of Heudros power. Becca in the hands of the Ministry was the last thing he wanted. But bringing word of her existence to them, he felt, would only end in their doing everything in their power to capture her and try to use her for their own purposes. Or worse, Voldemort learning of her.

He wasn't sure who was responsible for the latest killings. If Becca was still employing her favorite method of dealing with problems that came her way, or if she had indeed fallen back under Heudros control.

But one thing he was absolutely sure of, was that he did not want Sirius involved in this this time. Not in his current state.

If Heudros was back, and with Becca again, he had scores to settle. And from Orion's experience with the man, he wasn't one to let a grudge go easily. Himself he wasn't worried about. He had already proved to Heudros he was no easy target. But Heudros was sure to also have Voldemort on his 'to do' list. And not knowing the dark lord had left Sirius body, were Heudros to cross paths with Sirius, he would react as though he were facing Voldemort. An encounter Sirius was not likely to survive.

There had to be something he could do to protect Sirius. But first he would have to placate Orin.

"All right." Orion conceded for the moment. "But understand that Sirius only does desk work on this. If there's a confrontation of any kind, he stays behind."

"Your brother isn't much good to me injured." Bale replied. "So, considering how much I value his skill right now, you can rest assured my primary interest is keeping him safe."

(SCENE CHANGE)

As soon as Orion got back to the house, Sirius was waiting for him.

"All right," he stated as soon as Orion apparated into the foyer, "let's hear it."

"Hear what?" Orion ask, stepping past his brother towards the kitchen.

Sirius followed right behind him. "You weren't very subtle, Orion. You don't approve of me taking this work on."

Orion turned back to face him. "All right, no, I don't approve. I don't think youre ready for this."

"Don't think I can handle myself in the magical world yet?"

"Not against a wizard like Heudros." Orion quickly reigned in his growing temper. "Sirius, you don't know all of what there is to know about this matter."

"Then I suggest you start filling in the blanks, big brother, because I am now a part of this matter. This is my life, Orion. What was stolen from me. And I want it back. Getting involved in what my life use to be is what the doctors said would help my memory the most. And according to your boss, this is what I use to do."

"Well then, you'll be happy to hear that despite my misgivings about things, Bale refused to back down and you're still on his payroll. But you're to stay in the background, Sirius." Orion told him sternly. "You're not ready for any confrontations with another wizard yet. Especially one the likes of this one. Heudros likely still thinks that Voldemort is in your body. And if you encounter him hes likely to simply try to kill you on sight."

Despite Orions tone, Sirius returned a very pleased look. "Good. When do we get started then?"

"Later. Right now I have to go see someone. Orion replied. When I get back, I'll brief you on just how dangerous this situation really is."

Sirius watched Orion disapparate, then headed off to see if he could locate Bo for a few extra lessons until Orion returned.

****

Q&A

Well, as that there were, technically, no questions this time, I am foregoing Q&A this time.

I do appreciate the comments though. So thank you.

And my great thanks to anyone who can tell me why my quotation marks and a lot of my other grammer points disappear when I uplaid stories.

And remember;

Adolescent: One who is well informed about anything he doesnt have to study.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.****

CHAPTER NINETEEN: SO YOU SAY

Orion apparated to back his room at the house.

"Bo!"

The boggart immediately appeared in front of his channeler.

"Bo, you feel up to a trip?"

The boggart reached out and lightly patted Orion on the head.

Orion frowned slightly at the gesture. "Bo, do you ever get the idea that that gesture of yours might appear just the tiniest bit condescending?"

The boggart seemed to consider the question for a few moments, then reached out again and once more patted the man on the head.

"Didn't think so." Orion muttered to himself. "All right, Bo." He stated quickly. "I need to go find someone and I need you to come along for back up, all right?"

The boggart gestured in the air.

"I'm getting to that." Orion replied. "Just listen and remember what I need you to do. All right?"

Orion frowned once more as the hand reached out again and patted him lightly on the head.

(-------------------------)

Several minutes later, having explained to the boggart what he needed him to do, Orion apparated to the castle ruins. The former home of Heudros' one time 'Power', Becca.

Pulling out his wand, he wasted no time in summoning the fledgling 'Power' the quickest way he knew how.

A streak of light shot out of the tip of the wooden staff, striking a large stone partition that sent it exploding into a thousand of scattering fragments.

"Becca!" Orion bellowed. "Show yourself!"

Another streak of light hit a smaller boulder, but the result was the same.

"Show yourself, girl, or I'll reduce this whole place to dust!" He stated, sending another streak towards a third large, white stone, equally scattering it.

A fourth streak shot towards yet another large boulder. But it was stopped in it's flight by a young woman appearing suddenly in it's path who grabbed the bolt of light in her hand.

"Stop it!" She screamed. "What are you doing!?"

Orion pulled his wand back, giving her a condescending smile. "Getting your attention." He replied calmly. "Bo!"

The boggart instantly appeared next to his channeler. For a faint second Orion thought he saw a light of recognition in the fledgling 'Power's' eyes. One that was pleased to see the boggart. But as Bo reached his hand, the expression quickly changed to a puzzled frown.

"What....?"

Instantly a light shot out from the boggart's palm and rushed towards the other 'Power'. Becca instantly brought her hand up. But as soon as she tried to intercept the bolt, it shattered against her own palm and encircled her in thin streaks of light that constantly spun about her body like bright silver threads that held her fast as they lifted her a short ways off the ground.

"What is this!?" She demanded angrily, struggling against the bonds. "What have you done?"

"If you hadn't tried to fend off that spell, nothing." Orion explained calmly, walking up to her. "But instead you did just what I wanted you to do to activate Bo's spell. This spell now feeds off of your own power. As much energy as it would take you to break the bindings is just how much power the spell will draw to keep them in place. So you're literally fighting yourself."

"For what purpose?" She demanded in the same angry tone. "So you can finish off what is left of this place? You have no right to come here and attack this castle! This belongs to me! It is not yours to destroy!"

"I'm not here to destroy the castle, Becca." Orion stated in a firm tone. "All I want to know is what have you been up to lately?"

"Up to?" Becca asked in a puzzled tone, considering the man before her carefully.

"Up to." Orion repeated. "What have you been doing?" He spelled out, carefully pronouncing each word.

The fledgling 'Power' considered the question for a moment. "Not that it's any of your business," she replied haughtily, pulling herself up straighter despite the bands that held her, "but I haven't been 'up to' anything, as you put it. I have my own life now, and as such, I have my own matters to tend to."

"Your own life?" Orion ask with a puzzled look. "You mean you're not back with your old master?"

The girl gave him such a disgusted look that Orion couldn't take it as anything but genuine. "Heudros?" She spat, the name positively dripping with loathing. "You think I'm back with that worm?"

"You're saying you're not?"

"After as hard as I have worked to free myself of him and to stay that way, why in magic's name would you think I would go back to him? Do you think me insane!?"

Orion bit his tongue very hard to keep from answering her last question.

Becca squirmed in her invisible bonds. "Now release me!" She all but shouted at him. "I grow tired of this game."

Orion walked over to where she hung suspended by the spell. "Not just yet." He replied. "What do you know about recent killings of witches and wizards, Becca?"

The girl stared down at him. "Why should I know anything at all about any killings?"

"Because these killings have all the earmarks of the previous ones. Killings you were responsible for."

"I have never killed anyone." She shouted at him. "Now release me!"

Orion nodded to her. "All right. All right. 'Technically' you never killed anyone. You did it on Heudros' orders. But that doesn't change the fact that these killings are identical to the ones....when you were with Heudros."  
"Have you not been listening!" Becca stated plainly. "I. Am. Not. With. Heudros. Any. More."

"So what then?" Orion ask. "You're just killing for yourself then? Something to do?"

"I haven't been killing at all." Becca screamed at him, twisting helplessly against the silver threads in an effort to get free. "I haven't killed anyone and I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're lying. People are being killed and it has all of the same earmarks of your handiwork."

"It isn't me!" Becca stressed. "I haven't killed anyone."

"You know nothing about any killings of witches and wizards in the past three weeks?" Orion asked again.

"No!" Becca replied vehemently.

"Well, then, someone's certainly gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like you, my girl. Why would they do that?"

The fledgling 'Power' took several panting breaths. "How should I know?" She asked flatly. "Maybe Heudros went out and made another one of me? Have you thought of that?"

Orion paused for a moment.

In truth, no, he hadn't thought of that possibility. Mostly because the idea was too twisted to even consider. Surely Heudros wouldn't be stupid enough to make another of something he had already learned he couldn't control.

"Oh, I see." Becca replied in a droll tone. "You know, I'm beginning to see how the dark one feels sometimes. People are being killed, let's blame Becca."

"No one's blaming you, Becca." He replied carefully.

"Not blaming me?!" She replied. "You came here attacking me, all based on some belief that I was responsible for these....these killings you keep talking about. I know nothing about any killings, Mr. Black."

Orion held both hands up. "All right, Becca. I believe you. See, this is me, standing here believing you."

Becca frowned down at him. "Then release me." She stated flatly.

Orion considered the request. If Becca indeed wasn't responsible for the killings, she still might be a valuable source to finding out who was.

"All right." He said. "But no tricks, Becca." Orion turned back to the tower of dark robes who had stood silently behind him. "Bo, release her."

The spell holding her was dropped almost as soon as Orion said the words.

Barely able to catch herself, Becca fell to the ground, but quickly got back to her feet and put several feet between them. "There was no need for any of this!" She stated venomously, brushing herself off.

"Call it an attention getter."

Becca pulled herself back up to her full height as she faced the man before her. "Are you quite done humiliating me?"

"I'm not trying to humiliate you or hurt you, Becca. In fact, I'd like to help you if I can."

"I don't need your help." She practically spat at him.

"Becca, someone is killing people again. Do you understand that?"

"I understand it perfectly. What I fail to reason out is why I should care. It isn't me, and it doesn't affect me."

"That's where you're wrong, my girl." Orion told her, pointing a finger at her. "Someone is not only killing witches and wizards, but it appears they are going to a great deal of trouble to make it look like you are responsible."

"Well, I'm not." Becca repeated plainly.

"But if it isn't you, then who?"

"I told you. Maybe Heudros made another......one of me."

Orion gave her a quizzical look. "Do you honestly think he has the power to do that? Call another Power?"

Becca gave a tired sigh. "I don't know. And honestly, I don't care. Your problems, Mr. Black, as far as I am concerned, are exactly that. Yours. And I would appreciate you leaving me out of them. Now if that's all......?"

"Becca, wait!" Orion all but shouted as she began to disappear. But the form quickly solidified again.

"What?"

"Surely you don't think you're not involved in this?"

"Why should I be?" Becca asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Becca, if Heudros has called another Power, then what makes you think he won't come after you?"

"Because he has what he wants. If he has called another 'Power', he isn't interested in me anymore."

Orion gave her a mirthless smile. "Becca, you couldn't be more wrong. Heudros has every reason to still be interested in you."

"Why?" She asked, fanning her arms out to either side. "I have nothing to offer him. I won't serve him anymore. He knows this. Why would he risk showing himself, knowing how much I hate him?"

"For two very good possibilities, Becca. One, if Heudros does have another Power, he can use it against you. Second, if he did manage to capture you, he could trap you with a spell and still siphon off your power for his own use. Do you have any idea how powerful that would make him?"

The woman stared back at him for a few moments, then shook her head. "I've listened to enough of this." She said. "As I stated, you're problems, Mr. Black, are your own. Please leave me out of them." And with no further discussion, the fledgling 'Power' disappeared.

Q&A

Silverfox

:****

Interesting. Is Orin hoping to get to keep Sirius when his memory returns completely?  
As for the disappearing points I suspect they're now getting eaten by whatever this site uses to make every form of scene breaks I ever came up with disappear. (In my case they won over a year ago. If they do not want scene breaks, fine, scene break loving readers can follow me to other sites ...)

I think even Orin isn't sure what to expect when Sirius' memory fully returns. But in the meantime, as he said, he isn't about to toss aside a wonderful opportunity being handed to him.

Oh well. I guess I'll have to just keep doing the on-site edit to install all my punctuation each time.

ilovesiriusblack

:****

How quickly Orion forgets that if Sirius had his memory back he wouldn't want to be any where near him either.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Well, that's true to a point. In order for Sirius to remember that he and Orion don't get along, he's going to have to remember 'why'. If that memory never comes back, things may change a great deal between Sirius and his brother.

MasterLupin

:****

I think Sirius will run into confrontation, and he will do some really powerful accidental magic, like magical children.

Time will tell, Dear.

All reviews are as of 06/07/2009.

And remember;

Patrick Henry should come back to see what taxation _with_ representation is like.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER TWENTY: BETRAYAL

Becca stood nearby watching as Orion exchanged a few words with the boggart, then both disappeared.

But even after they had left, she stayed in hiding for several more minutes before venturing out.

When she stepped out of the cover of the trees, she slowly approached the pile of stones. Reaching out, she carefully ran her hand over one that had a large black mark left on it from where part of one of Orion's spells had ricocheted off and struck it.

Why were people constantly wanting to attack her structure? True, there wasn't much left of it, but still it was her's. The only thing she truly could claim. And it served a vital purpose for her. Reminding her to never let herself be used again as she had been by Heudros and the thirteen.

Becca leaned her back against the large stone and thought over Orion's words.

He had said there were killings again.

She gave a deep sigh. Why did this concern everyone so much?

So there were killings? So what? Killing stopped people from doing something they weren't suppose to be doing. The thirteen had used her power to do it more often than she could remember when Heudros ordered it. Why was Mr. Black so angry about it? It didn't effect him. It didn't effect anyone he seemed to know personally that she could tell from what he had said. Why did he care?

Becca shook her head as she pushed away from the stone. Too many questions and no answers. That was all she had.

She would have to talk to Richard about this. He always seemed to have answers, or would assure her that she was worrying over nothing.

Yes. That was the only answer she needed. She would talk to Richard.

(------------------------)

When Becca returned to Richard's home she quickly sought her brother out. The things Orion had told her were running around in her head more than ever, and she needed his reassurance that none of it was connected to them or could hurt them.

Since she had come to live with Richard, her life had had a certain balance that she had not had in some time. She was safe and protected and, when things didn't make sense, Richard could always seem to explain them.

But now something was threatening that balance. Someone was trying to bring chaos into her order.

But who? That was the question no one seemed to have an answer to.

But she did have an answer, she reminded herself as she apparated back into the foyer of Richard's opulent home. She had given it to Mr. Black. Who was doing these killings? Who was trying to make her look like the one responsible?

Heudros!

This all had to be Heudros' work. After all, hadn't he been the one behind the previous assaults, using her power to carry them out? And since it had been her power actually carrying the assaults out, and Mr. Black had stated the killings were the same as those from before, it stood to reason that Heudros had created another 'Power'. He had to have. And he was using this new 'Power' to carry out these killings in the same manner.

No. Not 'created', she corrected herself. Called. Mr. Black had said that Heudros did not created 'Powers'. He called them.

So Heudros must have called another 'Power' just as he had called her and Richard.

Proud of her reasoning, Becca set off at once to find Richard. Having found her own answers more or less for herself, and reasoned things out through them, she felt she now had to warn her brother of the danger this new 'Power' could present to them.

Though against the two of them, she didn't really see the newcomer as much of a threat. More of a nuisance. And she was sure Richard and she could handle such a problem together.

But Becca suddenly stopped as a new thought came to her.

Heudros had created a new 'Power'. There was another one of them out there somewhere. Obviously under Heudros' control. But why? Were they with him willingly, or, like her, were they little more than a slave?

Who was this new 'Power'? Were they friend or foe?

Richard was her friend. And he was a 'Power'.

Mr. Black's boggart was also a 'Power', and he had been kind to her when not being ordered by Mr. Black to trap her.

But Heudros had once been her friend also. Or said he was. And he had made her do things she did not understand but that she hadn't liked, like giving her power to the thirteen.

So Heudros had called another 'Power'. And this new 'Power' could turn out to be another friend......or an enemy.

She most definitely need to discuss all of this with Richard.

(--------------------------)

"Richard!" Becca called, heading through the main hallway towards the study.

Richard always seemed to be in the study. Of all the places in the house, this room seemed to be his favorite. And true to form, that was where she found him, seated behind his desk as he worked over some piece of parchment in front of him.

"Richard, why didn't you answer me?" Becca asked as she came into the room.

"I'm sorry." The young man replied without once looking up. "I was concentrating on something, Becca. What is it?"

"We have a problem, Richard." She stated plainly.

Richard still kept his head bent over the paper before him. "I'm a bit busy at the moment, sister. Can't you handle it?" He ask distractedly.

"No!" Becca stated firmly. She was trying to help him. The least he could do was spare her his time. "Richard there is a problem and it needs to be discussed. The least you can do is look at me."

The young man gave a loud sigh to show his irritation at the disruption, but dutifully leaned back in his chair, fixing his stare on the woman before him. "All right. You're right, Becca. If there's a problem, we should discuss it. What is it?"

Now that she had his attention, Becca suddenly wasn't quite sure how to present the problem. She didn't want to mention she had been talking to Orion Black, since she was sure Richard would not approve. So after a few seconds consideration, she reframed the events. "I heard a rumor." She stated simply.

The other 'Power' regarded her for a moment, then quickly went back to his paper. "You're disturbing me about a 'rumor'? Honestly, Becca, if you can't deal with rumors, what are you good for?"

Becca had become somewhat used to his abrupt manner. After all, she had certain had enough training for it with Heudros. A thought that brought her back to the problem at hand.

"Richard!" She stated, slamming her hands down on the desk top. "This is important! Will you listen to me?"

The young man sighed again. "I am listening, Becca. But you have yet to say anything that I see as warranting your less than courteous behavior."

"There is talk of killings going on, Richard." Becca stated in a tone that, to her, sounded calm and reasoning, but with still enough force to mark it's urgency. "People are dieing. Wizards and witches. All in the same way Heudros had used my power to kill them before."

Becca felt proud of her delivery when Richard slowly looked up from his paper.

"And?" He ask in a low, drawn out tone.

"Richard? Don't you see?" She ask, fanning out her hands. "The implications are all there."

The young man's eyes narrowed slightly. "Of what?"

Becca shook her head in frustration. "And you say I'm dim?" She stated. "Richard, the killings are being done in the same manner Heudros used. 'Exactly' the same."

The man's eyes narrowed a little more. "So?"

"If the manner is the same, don't you think its possible then that the person behind them is the same as well?"

Richard stood up and walked around the desk, never taking his eyes off of her.

Becca figured from his stance she had his attention now. But apparently he still wasn't making the connection and she would simply have to spell it out for him.

"Richard, if the killings are the same, maybe it's Heudros whose behind them. Maybe we've finally found him!"

The man's stance visibly relaxed a bit. "I suppose that's possible." He agreed with a slightly more amiable tone.

"But if it is Heudros," Becca went on, sensing that Richard still hadn't made the full connection of the events that she had, "and he is responsible for the killings....., Richard, Heudros couldn't be doing it on his own. He used my power to carry out the killings before. If these killings are being done in the same manner, then it stands to reason he would have to have access to that same type of power."

Becca could practically feel the tension she saw return to her brother's stance as he gave a slow nod, his attention again fixed solely on her.

"It would stand to reason." he agreed again. "So tell me, Becca," he ask in low, careful tone, "where do you think Heudros is getting this power to carry out these killings?"

Becca took a deep breath, ready to fight the disbelief she was sure her suggestion would bring out in her brother.

"Richard, what if Heudros created another 'Power'? He's already done it twice." She hurried on, ready to defend her conclusion. "He created you. And when you didn't prove to be what he wanted, he created me. What was to stop him from creating another?" She ask, hoping he would see her reasoning.

She expected a fight of words with him. She knew already she had disturbed him and taken him away from something he had been working on. Something Richard hated her doing. And from the way he had appeared to brace himself against her a few moments ago, she felt certain he was going to argue this down to nothing more than her imagination.

Again, as quickly as the tension had reappeared, once more it dissolved. But this time something new took its place besides Richard's usual overly patient attitude towards her.

Instead, her brother stood for a few moments, tapping his chin as he seemed to consider her revelation. "It's possible, I suppose." He stated slowly. "But I don't think it's very likely."

Becca braced herself. So it was going to be an argument after all. "Why not?" She demanded.

Richard held his hand out to her. "If you come with me, I'll show you."

Becca paused for a moment, but then slowly laid her hand in his. The fingers that closed around it left her no choice but to follow him.

After being led back into the foyer, Becca hesitated slightly as Richard led her towards the door leading to the cellar.

"Where are we going?" She ask, pulling back slight against the steel like grip on her hand.

The man turned to her with a small sigh. "Becca, I've indulged you. Can't you do the same for me?" Seeing her still hesitate, he gave her a bit more of a smile. "Please?"

Pausing for a moment more, Becca finally let him lead her through the door and down the stairs. As they went down each step she hesitated a little more, finally causing him to turn to her once more. "Becca, if you're going to fight me on this all the way down, we'll never get to where we're going."

Becca took a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry." She offered by way of an apology. "But it reminds me of the lower levels of the castle. And I didn't like the lower levels very much."

"Well," Richard stated, leading her down the last few steps, "this isn't your castle and these aren't those lower levels. This is my home, you're with me now, and I'll keep you safe."

Becca answered the smile he gave her with one of her own. She was so grateful that Richard had found her. Had taken her into his home and now was her protector. It made staying in this realm so much easier to have someone else close by who understood her fears. Who had lived through the same ones and showed her she could survive them.

"Where are we going?" She asked, as Richard dropped behind her, leaving her to walk a few more feet into the darkness before her.

"To show you that you needn't worry about Heudros any more." Came the reply from behind her.

Becca turned to ask him what he meant.

That was the last thing she remembered before she joined the blackness that surrounded her.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

****

Orion lacks people skills. Surely he can't really be stupid enough to believe that making people angry is the best way to achieve co-operation? And now Becca won't trust Bo either.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

No kidding. But then, I never claimed he had any. But in his defense, look at who the man is. This is how he was trained to deal with problems. Head on, no messing around. Whether or not this will gain the desired results remains to be seen. (But most likely not, as you pointed out.)

Actually, Becca does still like Bo. Whether she trusts him or not is another matter entirely, and has little to do with Orion. Becca sees Bo as little more than Orion's servant, doing, like she once did, only as he is told. And she doesn't fault him for that.

Silverfox

****

*sighs* And she doesn't even think to tell Orion that she has met another power. Such a foolish little thing.  
*glares at online editor* I use Word to edit. It can spellcheck - for British or American English or German, if I so choose. What can the online editor do again?

Allow me to look for whatever mistakes the site causes and then have a server error?

Well, Dear, let's just face some facts. Becca has never been up for the 'Oh, aren't you just clever?' award. But to be fair, she's also facing some serious 'challenges' in that category. She's in a realm that until a few weeks ago she had no idea wasn't her own, she found out technically speaking she doesn't even exist, and she's got trust issues out the wahzoo. Now here comes one of her own kind who tells her he knows exactly how she feels because he's been there too, and he wants to be friends.

Richard = friend. Rest of the world = not friend. That's pretty much how she sees it. You either are or you aren't. No gray areas allowed for yet.

As for posting, I have come up with being able to open the file on disk, copy the whole chapter to the site's online editor, paste, and save. It works pretty well. Saves me lots of time from having to go through the whole thing re-entering my grammar marks each time.

All reviews are as of 6/14/2009.

And remember;

Hollywood: Where you spend more than you make, on things you don't need, to impress people you don't like.

::: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY: BETRAYAL

Becca stood nearby watching as Orion exchanged a few words with the boggart, then both disappeared.

But even after they had left, she stayed in hiding for several more minutes before venturing out.

When she stepped out of the cover of the trees, she slowly approached the pile of stones. Reaching out, she carefully ran her hand over one that had a large black mark left on it from where part of one of Orion's spells had ricocheted off and struck it.

Why were people constantly wanting to attack her structure? True, there wasn't much left of it, but still it was her's. The only thing she truly could claim. And it served a vital purpose for her. Reminding her to never let herself be used again as she had been by Heudros and the thirteen.

Becca leaned her back against the large stone and thought over Orion's words.

He had said there were killings again.

She gave a deep sigh. Why did this concern everyone so much?

So there were killings? So what? Killing stopped people from doing something they weren't suppose to be doing. The thirteen had used her power to do it more often than she could remember when Heudros ordered it. Why was Mr. Black so angry about it? It didn't effect him. It didn't effect anyone he seemed to know personally that she could tell from what he had said. Why did he care?

Becca shook her head as she pushed away from the stone. Too many questions and no answers. That was all she had.

She would have to talk to Richard about this. He always seemed to have answers, or would assure her that she was worrying over nothing.

Yes. That was the only answer she needed. She would talk to Richard.

(------------------------)

When Becca returned to Richard's home she quickly sought her brother out. The things Orion had told her were running around in her head more than ever, and she needed his reassurance that none of it was connected to them or could hurt them.

Since she had come to live with Richard, her life had had a certain balance that she had not had in some time. She was safe and protected and, when things didn't make sense, Richard could always seem to explain them.

But now something was threatening that balance. Someone was trying to bring chaos into her order.

But who? That was the question no one seemed to have an answer to.

But she did have an answer, she reminded herself as she apparated back into the foyer of Richard's opulent home. She had given it to Mr. Black. Who was doing these killings? Who was trying to make her look like the one responsible?

Heudros!

This all had to be Heudros' work. After all, hadn't he been the one behind the previous assaults, using her power to carry them out? And since it had been her power actually carrying the assaults out, and Mr. Black had stated the killings were the same as those from before, it stood to reason that Heudros had created another 'Power'. He had to have. And he was using this new 'Power' to carry out these killings in the same manner.

No. Not 'created', she corrected herself. Called. Mr. Black had said that Heudros did not created 'Powers'. He called them.

So Heudros must have called another 'Power' just as he had called her and Richard.

Proud of her reasoning, Becca set off at once to find Richard. Having found her own answers more or less for herself, and reasoned things out through them, she felt she now had to warn her brother of the danger this new 'Power' could present to them.

Though against the two of them, she didn't really see the newcomer as much of a threat. More of a nuisance. And she was sure Richard and she could handle such a problem together.

But Becca suddenly stopped as a new thought came to her.

Heudros had created a new 'Power'. There was another one of them out there somewhere. Obviously under Heudros' control. But why? Were they with him willingly, or, like her, were they little more than a slave?

Who was this new 'Power'? Were they friend or foe?

Richard was her friend. And he was a 'Power'.

Mr. Black's boggart was also a 'Power', and he had been kind to her when not being ordered by Mr. Black to trap her.

But Heudros had once been her friend also. Or said he was. And he had made her do things she did not understand but that she hadn't liked, like giving her power to the thirteen.

So Heudros had called another 'Power'. And this new 'Power' could turn out to be another friend......or an enemy.

She most definitely need to discuss all of this with Richard.

(--------------------------)

"Richard!" Becca called, heading through the main hallway towards the study.

Richard always seemed to be in the study. Of all the places in the house, this room seemed to be his favorite. And true to form, that was where she found him, seated behind his desk as he worked over some piece of parchment in front of him.

"Richard, why didn't you answer me?" Becca asked as she came into the room.

"I'm sorry." The young man replied without once looking up. "I was concentrating on something, Becca. What is it?"

"We have a problem, Richard." She stated plainly.

Richard still kept his head bent over the paper before him. "I'm a bit busy at the moment, sister. Can't you handle it?" He ask distractedly.

"No!" Becca stated firmly. She was trying to help him. The least he could do was spare her his time. "Richard there is a problem and it needs to be discussed. The least you can do is look at me."

The young man gave a loud sigh to show his irritation at the disruption, but dutifully leaned back in his chair, fixing his stare on the woman before him. "All right. You're right, Becca. If there's a problem, we should discuss it. What is it?"

Now that she had his attention, Becca suddenly wasn't quite sure how to present the problem. She didn't want to mention she had been talking to Orion Black, since she was sure Richard would not approve. So after a few seconds consideration, she reframed the events. "I heard a rumor." She stated simply.

The other 'Power' regarded her for a moment, then quickly went back to his paper. "You're disturbing me about a 'rumor'? Honestly, Becca, if you can't deal with rumors, what are you good for?"

Becca had become somewhat used to his abrupt manner. After all, she had certain had enough training for it with Heudros. A thought that brought her back to the problem at hand.

"Richard!" She stated, slamming her hands down on the desk top. "This is important! Will you listen to me?"

The young man sighed again. "I am listening, Becca. But you have yet to say anything that I see as warranting your less than courteous behavior."

"There is talk of killings going on, Richard." Becca stated in a tone that, to her, sounded calm and reasoning, but with still enough force to mark it's urgency. "People are dieing. Wizards and witches. All in the same way Heudros had used my power to kill them before."

Becca felt proud of her delivery when Richard slowly looked up from his paper.

"And?" He ask in a low, drawn out tone.

"Richard? Don't you see?" She ask, fanning out her hands. "The implications are all there."

The young man's eyes narrowed slightly. "Of what?"

Becca shook her head in frustration. "And you say I'm dim?" She stated. "Richard, the killings are being done in the same manner Heudros used. 'Exactly' the same."

The man's eyes narrowed a little more. "So?"

"If the manner is the same, don't you think its possible then that the person behind them is the same as well?"

Richard stood up and walked around the desk, never taking his eyes off of her.

Becca figured from his stance she had his attention now. But apparently he still wasn't making the connection and she would simply have to spell it out for him.

"Richard, if the killings are the same, maybe it's Heudros whose behind them. Maybe we've finally found him!"

The man's stance visibly relaxed a bit. "I suppose that's possible." He agreed with a slightly more amiable tone.

"But if it is Heudros," Becca went on, sensing that Richard still hadn't made the full connection of the events that she had, "and he is responsible for the killings....., Richard, Heudros couldn't be doing it on his own. He used my power to carry out the killings before. If these killings are being done in the same manner, then it stands to reason he would have to have access to that same type of power."

Becca could practically feel the tension she saw return to her brother's stance as he gave a slow nod, his attention again fixed solely on her.

"It would stand to reason." he agreed again. "So tell me, Becca," he ask in low, careful tone, "where do you think Heudros is getting this power to carry out these killings?"

Becca took a deep breath, ready to fight the disbelief she was sure her suggestion would bring out in her brother.

"Richard, what if Heudros created another 'Power'? He's already done it twice." She hurried on, ready to defend her conclusion. "He created you. And when you didn't prove to be what he wanted, he created me. What was to stop him from creating another?" She ask, hoping he would see her reasoning.

She expected a fight of words with him. She knew already she had disturbed him and taken him away from something he had been working on. Something Richard hated her doing. And from the way he had appeared to brace himself against her a few moments ago, she felt certain he was going to argue this down to nothing more than her imagination.

Again, as quickly as the tension had reappeared, once more it dissolved. But this time something new took its place besides Richard's usual overly patient attitude towards her.

Instead, her brother stood for a few moments, tapping his chin as he seemed to consider her revelation. "It's possible, I suppose." He stated slowly. "But I don't think it's very likely."

Becca braced herself. So it was going to be an argument after all. "Why not?" She demanded.

Richard held his hand out to her. "If you come with me, I'll show you."

Becca paused for a moment, but then slowly laid her hand in his. The fingers that closed around it left her no choice but to follow him.

After being led back into the foyer, Becca hesitated slightly as Richard led her towards the door leading to the cellar.

"Where are we going?" She ask, pulling back slight against the steel like grip on her hand.

The man turned to her with a small sigh. "Becca, I've indulged you. Can't you do the same for me?" Seeing her still hesitate, he gave her a bit more of a smile. "Please?"

Pausing for a moment more, Becca finally let him lead her through the door and down the stairs. As they went down each step she hesitated a little more, finally causing him to turn to her once more. "Becca, if you're going to fight me on this all the way down, we'll never get to where we're going."

Becca took a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry." She offered by way of an apology. "But it reminds me of the lower levels of the castle. And I didn't like the lower levels very much."

"Well," Richard stated, leading her down the last few steps, "this isn't your castle and these aren't those lower levels. This is my home, you're with me now, and I'll keep you safe."

Becca answered the smile he gave her with one of her own. She was so grateful that Richard had found her. Had taken her into his home and now was her protector. It made staying in this realm so much easier to have someone else close by who understood her fears. Who had lived through the same ones and showed her she could survive them.

"Where are we going?" She asked, as Richard dropped behind her, leaving her to walk a few more feet into the darkness before her.

"To show you that you needn't worry about Heudros any more." Came the reply from behind her.

Becca turned to ask him what he meant.

That was the last thing she remembered before she joined the blackness that surrounded her.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

****

Orion lacks people skills. Surely he can't really be stupid enough to believe that making people angry is the best way to achieve co-operation? And now Becca won't trust Bo either.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

No kidding. But then, I never claimed he had any. But in his defense, look at who the man is. This is how he was trained to deal with problems. Head on, no messing around. Whether or not this will gain the desired results remains to be seen. (But most likely not, as you pointed out.)

Actually, Becca does still like Bo. Whether she trusts him or not is another matter entirely, and has little to do with Orion. Becca sees Bo as little more than Orion's servant, doing, like she once did, only as he is told. And she doesn't fault him for that.

Silverfox

:****

*sighs* And she doesn't even think to tell Orion that she has met another power. Such a foolish little thing.  
*glares at online editor* I use Word to edit. It can spellcheck - for British or American English or German, if I so choose. What can the online editor do again?

Allow me to look for whatever mistakes the site causes and then have a server error?

Well, Dear, let's just face some facts. Becca has never been up for the 'Oh, aren't you just clever?' award. But to be fair, she's also facing some serious 'challenges' in that category. She's in a realm that until a few weeks ago she had no idea wasn't her own, she found out technically speaking she doesn't even exist, and she's got trust issues out the wahzoo. Now here comes one of her own kind who tells her he knows exactly how she feels because he's been there too, and he wants to be friends.

Richard = friend. Rest of the world = not friend. That's pretty much how she sees it. You either are or you aren't. No gray areas allowed for yet.

As for posting, I have come up with being able to open the file on disk, copy the whole chapter to the site's online editor, paste, and save. It works pretty well. Saves me lots of time from having to go through the whole thing re-entering my grammar marks each time.

All reviews are as of 6/14/2009.

And remember;

Hollywood: Where you spend more than you make, on things you don't need, to impress people you don't like.

: 


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: RICHARD'S PLAN

Becca woke up to someone calling her name. A sound that vibrated through her head over and over, sincerely making her wish they would stop.

"Come on, wake up, Becca." The voice called. "I haven't got all day here."

Becca slowly shook her head a little, hoping to clear it a bit more. With equally slow moments she managed to get to her feet, although her stance was unbalanced and she nearly fell again if she hadn't managed to collapse instead onto the small cot just behind her.

"A little unsteady, are we?" The voice ask.

Becca turned to see Richard standing before her, his shape obscured by several large, green lines.

Getting back to her feet, Becca staggered forward, reaching out a hand which she hoped he would take and help steady her.

"I wouldn't do that." Came the warning just before her hand made contact with one of the green lines.

With a yelp of pain she fell backwards, landing in the dirt that comprised the floor under her.

"Well, can't say I didn't warn you." Richard muttered, looking down at her.

Becca placed a hand to her head, trying to stop the throbbing which had started up again. "Richard?" She moaned. "Where am I?"

"No need to worry, dear sister." Came the reply. "You're perfectly safe for now."

"Now?" Becca ask, looking up. Her vision coming more into focus, she took in her surroundings.

Seated still on the dirt floor, Becca realized that the lines she had seen before were actually bars, each set about four inches apart and forming four walls around her as well the ceiling.

Quickly her gaze shifted to Richard. "Richard? What are you doing? Why I am in a cage?"

"I explained that already." He replied. "I'm keeping you safe."

"Safe?" Becca stated, struggling up to her feet. "Safe from what?"

Inadvertently Becca reached out again, the tips of her fingers making contact with on of the bars before she snatched it back with a small cry of pain.

"Do try not to touch the bars, Becca." Richard advised her in a tone of someone trying to get a point across to someone they were pretty sure could never grasp the idea, no matter how hard they tried. "They're wards, you see. Set up to respond to contact with pure magic. A response, as you've seen twice now, is none too pleasant."

"I don't understand? Why are you doing this?"

"Because, Becca, I have need of your help."

"But I have been helping you. Of my own free will. There's no need to imprison me."

Richard walked across the front of the cage, crouching down at one of the corners as he stared at her through the pale green bars. "Yes, but you see, Becca, what little you've managed to do for me so far isn't really what I need of you."

Becca stared back at him.

"Power is all well and good, Becca, but for what I have planned I need more than I have." The man pointed a thin finger at her. "I need yours."

Becca pulled back slightly. "You.......you want my power?"

The man stood up, clapping his hands together. "You see!" He stated with a smile. "You're catching on now."

"But....but I would have helped you if you had asked, Richard." Becca stated. "I would have given you.........."  
The man started pacing outside the front of the cage, getting agitated again. "I don't need you help, Becca." He stated in exasperation. "And I don't need you 'lending' me your power."

Becca stared up at him. "Then what is it you want from me?" She asked in a small, frightened sounding voice.

"I don't want you at all." He stated. "It's your power that I need, not you. Currently, you're nothing more to me than a storage place for that power until I have my plans in place. Then, when everything is ready, I'll take what I need from you."

Becca slowly shook her head. "But I would have given you want you wanted. I'd have given you my magic."

Richard stared down at her with a look of pure contempt. "Stupid girl." He stated past a disdainful sneer. "Don't you get it yet? It's your power that I need. Not just your magic, but the very thing that makes you what you are. And once I've taken what I want from you," he added with a none-the-less condescending smile, "I'm afraid there won't be much left of you."

Becca stared back at him with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

"Still not getting it yet?" Richard asked. "Well, I suppose a I can spare the time for a brief demonstration. A little taste of what's to come." He added with a wink. "As well as make sure you won't be leaving before I'm done with you."

Becca tried to pull back, to find some sort of shelter as she watched the other 'Power' raise his hand. But the bolt of light shot through the glowing bars and hit her directly in the chest, freezing her where she sat on the floor, unable to move.

Several agonizing seconds went by, or what could have been hours to her, before she could stand the pain no longer and a cry broke forth from her lips, filling the cellar they were in.

With the cry the line of white light broke between them, leaving her to collapse to the floor once again. It was the thirteen all over again, but even worse. When the thirteen drew power from her, the feeling it left her with was utter exhaustion. This time she had been left feeling as though some part of her had been physically ripped away from her.

From the other side of the bars Richard gave a long, drawn out sigh of satisfaction. "There is nothing in this realm or ours that even comes close to that feeling." He stated with pure pleasure. He leaned closer to the bars and leered at the girl behind them. "And if that is what taking just part of your power feels like, I positively hunger for what it feels like to drain all of it from you. But," he added, pulling back and adopting a more thoughtful expression, "I suppose it's best not to damage you too much before I really need you. It wouldn't due to have to try and find another source to draw off of before I reach my goals."

"Goals?" Becca muttered, pulling herself up slightly to stare up at him. "What 'goals'?"

Richard crouched next to the bars. "Now what interest would those be to you, dear sister?"

Becca stared up at him now through narrowed eyes. "I'd like to know what evil my power will be used for this time." She all but spat at him.

The other 'Power' gave a soft laugh. "I see. Professional curiosity then?" He asked. "And I suppose since it will be in large your contribution that helps me accomplish my goals, you have a vague right to know what your resources will be used for." He went on, resting his arms on his knees as he folded his hands in from of him. "You see, Becca." He stated. "We aren't the only ones in this realm of our kind. We aren't the only ones who were ever called. There are others." He said, his expression hardening along with his tone as he spoke. "Older ones. Ones' whose power is more than you ever even dreamed of. Ones who have more power then they even dare use for fear of exposing themselves.

So they sit in their holes in the ground and they do nothing. They could be gods. And yet they play themselves off as ordinary wizards and witches, living in this realm when they should be ruling it. They're pathetic!"  
"But.....but it's not yours to take." Becca stammered out. "That power. It doesn't belong to you."

Richard got up and walked to the stone wall behind him. "It belongs to whoever has the will and the vision to use it!" He stated in a deceptively calm voice. But he suddenly slammed his hand into the wall before turning back to her. "And if the ones who have it won't use it, then they don't deserve it." He shouted at her.

"It was given to us for a reason!" He went on, his anger building like a wave. "To use it to better our circumstances. If the magic users of this realm are so stupid and short sighted to call beings like us to their realm, and then think that we are going to be content to serve them, they deserve what they get.

They've used our power for eons. Sucking off of it. Despoiling it. And still it isn't enough for them. They want more. Always more! So they call us, bring us here to this realm, where we are bombarded with sights and sounds and set upon by physical limitations. And to add insult to this injury, they think we would come here and serve them!?

Fools! Idiots! We do not serve! We rule! And it is far past time these grateful-less children...these thieves of our powers learned who their betters are. Look at your own 'master', Becca. If ever there was a king of fools, Heudros was it. He had you. Your loyalty, your service, and your power. All at his disposal. And what does he do with it? He lets it slip through his fingers.

Well, I am not such a fool, little sister." He added, getting to his feet again. "I have you. And I intend to keep you right here, safe and sound, until I need you. And then you will serve me one last time. Giving me your power so I can add it to my own. Then we shall see if the elder thinks he can stand against me."

Richard gave a soft laugh as he pulled back from the bars, leaving Becca with a disbelieving expression on her face.

"Do enjoy your new accommodations, dear sister." He called over his shoulder as he started up the stairs behind him.

Becca listened to Richard's steps as he climbed the stairs, pulling back slightly at the sound as he slammed the door at the top closed after him.

After a few moments she finally pulled herself back to her feet and backed over to the small cot, where she sat down before taking a good look about her new surroundings.

Of which there wasn't much to speak of.

The cell she sat in wasn't much more than fifteen feet wide from one side to the other in any direction, and the only furniture she had been given was the cot, which she noted wasn't very comfortable.

The floor at first seemed to be loose dirt. But as she dug into it with her heel she stuck a more solid surface that didn't allow her to dig any further. Most likely a heavy clay.

Sighing to herself, Becca turned to the back of the cage, noting a small window set high in a wall just beyond the glowing bars of her cell. From the angle she had to look out, all it afforded her was a view of the sky, which showed her it was now late in the day and the light was rapidly fading.

A sound suddenly caught her attention, and as she turned towards it, Becca noticed for the first time that her cage apparently wasn't the only one in the cellar. Next to her own was another cage of similar size, which used the bars from the side of her own cage to form the wall between them. Curiously, Becca pulled herself up to her feet and walked over the bars, wondering what was in the other cell. Standing near the bars, but careful to stay clear of them, She could see that this cell was actually comprised only of three walls made up of the magical glowing bars. The fourth wall was one of solid stone. A wall where, Becca was surprised to see, a figure was standing, chained to the wall behind it. The figure didn't so much as move as she stared at it. Leaving her wondering if the person was even still alive.

"Hello?" She called out. "Can you hear me?"

The voice that answered her, even though rasped and cracking and barely understandable, caused her to pull back slightly.

"Stupid girl." It croaked. "Stupid, stupid girl."

The figure slowly raised it's head and Becca let out a small gasp as she fell back away from the green bars between the cells, unable to believe the face of the man staring back at her.

"Heudros!"

****

Q&A

MasterLupin

:  
**I feel that a lot was reviled in this chapter but being male, I missed 90% of the subtlety. I will need to read the last several chapter again to pick it up.**

Actually, there was a lot in that chapter, but I feel fairly safe in saying that most of what was there was up front. A few things I am keeping under wraps, since it does, in fact make up the majority of the story. For instance, what Richard's final goal in all this is.

All reviews are as of 06/21/2009.

And remember;

A Happy Father's Day to all my dad readers out there, and especially to my own father. Much love from your youngest.

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: RICHARD'S PLAN

Becca woke up to someone calling her name. A sound that vibrated through her head over and over, sincerely making her wish they would stop.

"Come on, wake up, Becca." The voice called. "I haven't got all day here."

Becca slowly shook her head a little, hoping to clear it a bit more. With equally slow moments she managed to get to her feet, although her stance was unbalanced and she nearly fell again if she hadn't managed to collapse instead onto the small cot just behind her.

"A little unsteady, are we?" The voice ask.

Becca turned to see Richard standing before her, his shape obscured by several large, green lines.

Getting back to her feet, Becca staggered forward, reaching out a hand which she hoped he would take and help steady her.

"I wouldn't do that." Came the warning just before her hand made contact with one of the green lines.

With a yelp of pain she fell backwards, landing in the dirt that comprised the floor under her.

"Well, can't say I didn't warn you." Richard muttered, looking down at her.

Becca placed a hand to her head, trying to stop the throbbing which had started up again. "Richard?" She moaned. "Where am I?"

"No need to worry, dear sister." Came the reply. "You're perfectly safe for now."

"Now?" Becca ask, looking up. Her vision coming more into focus, she took in her surroundings.

Seated still on the dirt floor, Becca realized that the lines she had seen before were actually bars, each set about four inches apart and forming four walls around her as well the ceiling.

Quickly her gaze shifted to Richard. "Richard? What are you doing? Why I am in a cage?"

"I explained that already." He replied. "I'm keeping you safe."

"Safe?" Becca stated, struggling up to her feet. "Safe from what?"

Inadvertently Becca reached out again, the tips of her fingers making contact with on of the bars before she snatched it back with a small cry of pain.

"Do try not to touch the bars, Becca." Richard advised her in a tone of someone trying to get a point across to someone they were pretty sure could never grasp the idea, no matter how hard they tried. "They're wards, you see. Set up to respond to contact with pure magic. A response, as you've seen twice now, is none too pleasant."

"I don't understand? Why are you doing this?"

"Because, Becca, I have need of your help."

"But I have been helping you. Of my own free will. There's no need to imprison me."

Richard walked across the front of the cage, crouching down at one of the corners as he stared at her through the pale green bars. "Yes, but you see, Becca, what little you've managed to do for me so far isn't really what I need of you."

Becca stared back at him.

"Power is all well and good, Becca, but for what I have planned I need more than I have." The man pointed a thin finger at her. "I need yours."

Becca pulled back slightly. "You.......you want my power?"

The man stood up, clapping his hands together. "You see!" He stated with a smile. "You're catching on now."

"But....but I would have helped you if you had asked, Richard." Becca stated. "I would have given you.........."  
The man started pacing outside the front of the cage, getting agitated again. "I don't need you help, Becca." He stated in exasperation. "And I don't need you 'lending' me your power."

Becca stared up at him. "Then what is it you want from me?" She asked in a small, frightened sounding voice.

"I don't want you at all." He stated. "It's your power that I need, not you. Currently, you're nothing more to me than a storage place for that power until I have my plans in place. Then, when everything is ready, I'll take what I need from you."

Becca slowly shook her head. "But I would have given you want you wanted. I'd have given you my magic."

Richard stared down at her with a look of pure contempt. "Stupid girl." He stated past a disdainful sneer. "Don't you get it yet? It's your power that I need. Not just your magic, but the very thing that makes you what you are. And once I've taken what I want from you," he added with a none-the-less condescending smile, "I'm afraid there won't be much left of you."

Becca stared back at him with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

"Still not getting it yet?" Richard asked. "Well, I suppose a I can spare the time for a brief demonstration. A little taste of what's to come." He added with a wink. "As well as make sure you won't be leaving before I'm done with you."

Becca tried to pull back, to find some sort of shelter as she watched the other 'Power' raise his hand. But the bolt of light shot through the glowing bars and hit her directly in the chest, freezing her where she sat on the floor, unable to move.

Several agonizing seconds went by, or what could have been hours to her, before she could stand the pain no longer and a cry broke forth from her lips, filling the cellar they were in.

With the cry the line of white light broke between them, leaving her to collapse to the floor once again. It was the thirteen all over again, but even worse. When the thirteen drew power from her, the feeling it left her with was utter exhaustion. This time she had been left feeling as though some part of her had been physically ripped away from her.

From the other side of the bars Richard gave a long, drawn out sigh of satisfaction. "There is nothing in this realm or ours that even comes close to that feeling." He stated with pure pleasure. He leaned closer to the bars and leered at the girl behind them. "And if that is what taking just part of your power feels like, I positively hunger for what it feels like to drain all of it from you. But," he added, pulling back and adopting a more thoughtful expression, "I suppose it's best not to damage you too much before I really need you. It wouldn't due to have to try and find another source to draw off of before I reach my goals."

"Goals?" Becca muttered, pulling herself up slightly to stare up at him. "What 'goals'?"

Richard crouched next to the bars. "Now what interest would those be to you, dear sister?"

Becca stared up at him now through narrowed eyes. "I'd like to know what evil my power will be used for this time." She all but spat at him.

The other 'Power' gave a soft laugh. "I see. Professional curiosity then?" He asked. "And I suppose since it will be in large your contribution that helps me accomplish my goals, you have a vague right to know what your resources will be used for." He went on, resting his arms on his knees as he folded his hands in from of him. "You see, Becca." He stated. "We aren't the only ones in this realm of our kind. We aren't the only ones who were ever called. There are others." He said, his expression hardening along with his tone as he spoke. "Older ones. Ones' whose power is more than you ever even dreamed of. Ones who have more power then they even dare use for fear of exposing themselves.

So they sit in their holes in the ground and they do nothing. They could be gods. And yet they play themselves off as ordinary wizards and witches, living in this realm when they should be ruling it. They're pathetic!"  
"But.....but it's not yours to take." Becca stammered out. "That power. It doesn't belong to you."

Richard got up and walked to the stone wall behind him. "It belongs to whoever has the will and the vision to use it!" He stated in a deceptively calm voice. But he suddenly slammed his hand into the wall before turning back to her. "And if the ones who have it won't use it, then they don't deserve it." He shouted at her.

"It was given to us for a reason!" He went on, his anger building like a wave. "To use it to better our circumstances. If the magic users of this realm are so stupid and short sighted to call beings like us to their realm, and then think that we are going to be content to serve them, they deserve what they get.

They've used our power for eons. Sucking off of it. Despoiling it. And still it isn't enough for them. They want more. Always more! So they call us, bring us here to this realm, where we are bombarded with sights and sounds and set upon by physical limitations. And to add insult to this injury, they think we would come here and serve them!?

Fools! Idiots! We do not serve! We rule! And it is far past time these grateful-less children...these thieves of our powers learned who their betters are. Look at your own 'master', Becca. If ever there was a king of fools, Heudros was it. He had you. Your loyalty, your service, and your power. All at his disposal. And what does he do with it? He lets it slip through his fingers.

Well, I am not such a fool, little sister." He added, getting to his feet again. "I have you. And I intend to keep you right here, safe and sound, until I need you. And then you will serve me one last time. Giving me your power so I can add it to my own. Then we shall see if the elder thinks he can stand against me."

Richard gave a soft laugh as he pulled back from the bars, leaving Becca with a disbelieving expression on her face.

"Do enjoy your new accommodations, dear sister." He called over his shoulder as he started up the stairs behind him.

Becca listened to Richard's steps as he climbed the stairs, pulling back slightly at the sound as he slammed the door at the top closed after him.

After a few moments she finally pulled herself back to her feet and backed over to the small cot, where she sat down before taking a good look about her new surroundings.

Of which there wasn't much to speak of.

The cell she sat in wasn't much more than fifteen feet wide from one side to the other in any direction, and the only furniture she had been given was the cot, which she noted wasn't very comfortable.

The floor at first seemed to be loose dirt. But as she dug into it with her heel she stuck a more solid surface that didn't allow her to dig any further. Most likely a heavy clay.

Sighing to herself, Becca turned to the back of the cage, noting a small window set high in a wall just beyond the glowing bars of her cell. From the angle she had to look out, all it afforded her was a view of the sky, which showed her it was now late in the day and the light was rapidly fading.

A sound suddenly caught her attention, and as she turned towards it, Becca noticed for the first time that her cage apparently wasn't the only one in the cellar. Next to her own was another cage of similar size, which used the bars from the side of her own cage to form the wall between them. Curiously, Becca pulled herself up to her feet and walked over the bars, wondering what was in the other cell. Standing near the bars, but careful to stay clear of them, She could see that this cell was actually comprised only of three walls made up of the magical glowing bars. The fourth wall was one of solid stone. A wall where, Becca was surprised to see, a figure was standing, chained to the wall behind it. The figure didn't so much as move as she stared at it. Leaving her wondering if the person was even still alive.

"Hello?" She called out. "Can you hear me?"

The voice that answered her, even though rasped and cracking and barely understandable, caused her to pull back slightly.

"Stupid girl." It croaked. "Stupid, stupid girl."

The figure slowly raised it's head and Becca let out a small gasp as she fell back away from the green bars between the cells, unable to believe the face of the man staring back at her.

"Heudros!"

****

Q&A

MasterLupin

:  
**I feel that a lot was reviled in this chapter but being male, I missed 90% of the subtlety. I will need to read the last several chapter again to pick it up.**

Actually, there was a lot in that chapter, but I feel fairly safe in saying that most of what was there was up front. A few things I am keeping under wraps, since it does, in fact make up the majority of the story. For instance, what Richard's final goal in all this is.

All reviews are as of 06/21/2009.

And remember;

A Happy Father's Day to all my dad readers out there, and especially to my own father. Much love from your youngest.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: If anyone...ANYONE can tell me how to fix this problem of no grammer marks and double pastings on this page, please let me know!!!

As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: ESCAPE

Becca's shock at seeing her former master quickly shifted to anger as she launched herself in a rage at the bars. But she again encounter the searing pain as she wrapped one hand about the bars and reached the other through them.

But even as the pain course through her, she still pressed herself as hard against the bars as she could, reaching her whole arm through the bars as she clawed at the air, trying to get the man on the other side. But eventually the ward proved too much for her and she was thrown back to the floor.

Becca quickly pulled herself up to a sitting position and raised her hand. A bolt of dull light flared out from her palm and erupted into sparks as it tried to pass between the glowing bars.

The man in the other cell gave a choked, gurgling laugh as he watched her.

"You were stupid when I last saw you and you haven't improved any. Either in your skills or your intellect." He stated in a rasped voice. "Haven't you done anything with yourself all these months?"

Becca slowly pulled herself up from the floor. "Yes, I have been 'doing something' with myself." She answered venomously. "I have been putting a great deal of time into finding you....., master."

Heudros seemed to take the news with little interest. "Really? For what?"

"Doing the only thing Richard has suggested I totally agreed with. Killing you."

This piece of news Heudros took with a deep frown. "Really? So the little ingratiate has been planning my downfall for some time, has he? Recruiting you to his cause? Winning your trust until he could steal your magic? Hmmm...., Richard has been a busy little boy, hasn't he?"

"One would think you less facetious about your fate, Heudros." Becca pointed out.

The man regarded her for a moment. "Really? Do you think I should be worried that Richard has some nefarious end planned for me? Then tell me something, Becca." Heudros went on before she could even think to answer. "If Richard's grand plan was just to kill me, why am I still alive? I called him shortly after Mr. Black stole you away from me......"

"After?!" Becca seized on the information.

Heudros frowned at the outburst. "Yes. Several weeks after. It's not a casual thing to call one of you. It takes planning, and a great deal of work."

Becca returned his frown. "Richard said you called him first. But that you were unsatisfied with him and so you discarded him and called me instead."

Heudros gave a rasping laugh at the information. "Is that what he told you?! Great magic! That boy can come up with stories. So, what other great yarns did he spin for you?"

Becca crossed her arms over her chest even as she knelt on the ground. "I do not think it is in my interest to share that information with you."

Heudros sneered down at the girl. "Then you best expand your interests, my girl. Because right now I am the only hope you have of getting out of this place. But in order to do that, I need to know what this creature is up to."

"I told you. To kill you. That is all Richard has talked about with me."

"Did you not listen to him, girl?" Heudros stated as forcefully as he could. "He is after this....this 'elder' of your kind. And he intends to do to him what he did to you. Steal his power. His magic."

"I know nothing about any 'elder'." Becca replied. "All Richard ever talked to me about was finding you so we could finally free ourselves of you."

"Ah. Back to killing me." Heudros stated in a tone that sounded as though the matter bored him. "But again, girl, if killing me was his plan, then why am I still alive? If that was Richard's grand plan, I would surely be dead by now. But he kept me around. Allowed me my freedom until only a few days ago. Now what changed in those few days? That is what I want to know. And what is he ultimately after?"

Becca gave a shriek of rage. "What is the matter with this world!?" She yelled. "Why is it everyone seems to think I care so much about their personal problems? First Mr. Black and now you!"

"Black?" Heudros asked with a spark of sudden interest. "You've seen Orion Black?"

Becca stared back at him. "And if I have?"

"What did he want?"

"He seemed to think I was responsible for something."

"For what?"

Becca considered the question for a few moments. "He said witches and wizards were being killed. In the same manner the thirteen used to do. He thought I was responsible. That I was back with you, doing your bidding again. I told him....."

"Witches and wizards are being killed?" Heudros cut her off quickly.

Becca paused. "That is what he said."

"Just like before?"

Becca again considered her answer. But the information seemed just as unimportant to her as before. "That is what Mr. Black said. That is why he thought...."

"Well, Richard has indeed been busy." Heudros stated, again cutting her off. "He's been building his power base right under my nose and I never saw it." Heudros turned sharply back to her. "Did you tell Richard about your meeting with Black?"

Becca nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off the man in the cell next to her's. Heudros was seeing something in all of this 'useless' information. But she wasn't sure what. And it irritated her.

Heudros gave a short, rasping laugh. "Well, that certainly explains Richard's sudden need to put his plans into action." He stated. "He felt Black was onto him. That the man had managed to track the events down to you, and now he worried he would trace them back to him." Heudros gave his chains a slight pull as he looked them over. "And it makes our getting out of here even more imperative. And the sooner the better."

Becca watched him test the strength of the chains through the glowing bars. "But how? You can't get free and I can't get past these bars."

Heudros turned back to her. "But you can." He replied. "Didn't you notice the last time you touched them, you could hold onto them for several seconds? You could even stick your arm in between them. My guess is that by draining your power, Richard weakened you just enough that the wards don't register you as a full magical power any longer."

Becca tilted her head to the side as she studied the man in the other cell. "It still hurt." She pointed out firmly.

"Did it hurt as much as it's going to when Richard comes back here and drains you into oblivion, girl?"

Becca gave the question serious consideration before shaking her head slightly.

"Then get over here." Heudros ordered. "Your magic is still strong enough that it can't get through the bars itself. But if you put your arm through and fire a spell at these chains, I'm willing to bet it'll work."

Becca pulled herself to her feet, steeling herself up for the task as she walked across the cell. One she knew from experience wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Just do it quickly." Heudros told her. "The faster you do it the faster it'll be over."

Becca nodded slightly and extended her arm towards the wards.

"Wait!" Heudros called out suddenly.

Becca quickly pulled her arm back, marginally glad for any reprieve from her task.

"Aim." Heudros pronounced carefully. "Be very careful how you aim. I don't want to come out of this short one hand or one arm."

The fledgling 'Power' frowned at him, thinking how very unconcerned she would be should the events turn out that way. But still, she needed Heudros for the moment. He seemed to have some sort of an idea how to get them out of this place, and she desperately did not want to be there when Richard returned. If taking just part of her magic had felt like it had, she indeed didn't want to ever know what his taking all of it felt like.

Taking a deep breath, Becca walked up to the very edge of the bars, raised her arm, and aimed through the bars at where she wanted the spell to go. She wasn't sure if she even had enough power left to break the chains holding Heudros. But not even trying meant they would still be there when Richard returned, and she already felt she knew the outcome of that scenario.

"Hurry up, girl!" Heudros rasped. "I haven't got all day and neither do you."

"You wished to keep your arm....., master." Becca bit out, still trying to judge her aim. "That takes more careful aim of the spell. Otherwise, I would be just as happy to take it off for you."

Heudros fell into a surly silence as Becca continued to judge all the factors before her.

"Do not move." She finally told Heudros firmly. "Not one inch."

Bracing herself against the pain she knew was coming, Becca stepped forward quickly, pushing her arm between the bars. She grabbed hold of one of them with her other hand to help steady her aim and let the spell fly from her palm.

A slight yelp of pain answered the spell as it struck the side of the manacle around Heudros' wrist and shot off into the wall where it knocked a large hole in the brick and mortar as it erupted in a small shower of sparks.

In her own cell, Becca pulled back from the bars and collapsed to the floor. The wards were strong. More than anything she had ever encountered before. And putting her arm between them was more painful than any punishment Heudros or his followers had meted out to her.

And great magic! She had to do it again!

"Come on, girl!" Came a voice through the haze of pain. "We haven't got time for you to nurse your pain. And be more careful this time! You nearly killed me with that debris."

Becca grit her teeth as she slowly pulled herself up to her hands and knees. "Be silent!" She stated harshly. "You still have your arm. Be grateful. For next time my aim may not be as sure."

Heudros again fell silent as Becca slowly got back to her feet. Pulling back up to her full height, she threw her hair back and glared at the man before her through the bars. The pain that coursed through her body left her positively numb. But she wasn't about to let Heudros see her weakness.

Raising her arm once more, Becca concentrated on her target. "Stay still." She advised Heudros again.

Once more Becca took a deep breath, steeled herself, and thrust her arm through the bars, immediately letting loose a bolt of light as the spell hurled itself at its target.

Heudros gave a small gasp as he felt the manacle around his other wrist give way and he fell to the floor, his legs momentarily unable to support the sudden weight.

For several minutes he stayed that way, re-gathering his strength and getting use to a position that did not have him upright with his arms pulled above his head.

"Very good, Becca." He finally rasp out. "Very, very good."

Having once again been thrown back to the floor of her own cell by the ward, Becca sat simply staring at the man opposite her, trying to will some feeling back into her own battered body.

"I'm so glad you're pleased." She snapped back with a biting sarcasm. "Now how exactly are we suppose to get out of these cells?"

Whatever plans Heudros may have had, he never got the chance to express them. No sooner had Becca asked the question then a bright light erupted in the area outside the cells.

In the aftermath stood Richard, looking anything but pleased.

And nor did Heudros appear to want to give him much time to take in the situation.

"Ungrateful wretch!" He yelled in his rasping, cracking voice. "Planned to kill me, did you?"

Richard instantly turned towards his master. "How did you get free?" He ask, but quickly shook his head. "No matter. You'll not get free again." Holding up his hand, Richard shot a bolt of light at the cell. But as it reached the bars, It erupted into a shower of sparks and dissolved.

Richard stared at the display for several seconds, trying to reason out what had gone wrong. But it was Heudros that answered his questioning stare.

"Becca's magic," He gave a hissing laugh at the younger man. "You're infused with her magic. And you set up these wards to respond to her magic. So as long as you have her magic in you, you can't fire off any spells between these bars." Heudros leaned into the bars, wrapping his hands about them harmlessly as he pressed his face against them. "So if you want to do anything about my being free, 'little boy', you'll have to come in here to do it." Heudros gave him a condescending grin through the bars. "If you dare."

"Dare?!" Richard bellowed at the man behind the bars, followed by a menacing laugh. "Stay free from your chains if it gives you some sense of power 'little master'. I could not care less."

"Fear me still, do you?" Heudros taunted him. "Even beaten down and caged in a cell, you'll not face me one on one. What a pathetic creature you are. And to think I made myself your host. Gave you an anchor in this realm to help you stay. What useless creatures I have burdened myself with. First Becca.....and now you. Sad, useless little creature."

"Do not even mention her name in the same breath as mine!" Richard yelled back at him. "I am nothing like her!" He stated, turning to where Becca stood watching the two men intently. "Look at her! She is a child frightened of her own shadow. Just like the others, she can not even begin to see the potential she has."

"She has more than you!" Heudros replied. "She at least stood up for herself, no matter how inappropriate her action was. You won't even do that!"

Another bolt of magic hurled itself against the bars and erupted into sparks. "Silence, dog!"

Heudros laughed at the display. "Very brave of you, 'little boy'. Throwing spells and insults at me while you know I am safely tucked away in this cell and you are out of my reach."

A bolt of light flew at the door of Heudros' cell. The lock clicked back and the door immediately swung open.

Heudros' eyes widened in what might have been taken for fear as he stepped away from the open door.

Richard wasted no time in approaching his prey. Stepping into the cell he marched over to where Heudros stood, eyeing him carefully.

Stepping up to him, Richard stared down at the older man. "Any words to say now, oh brave master?" He asked in a low, menacing tone.

Heudros looked up at the 'Power', a small smile creeping over his lips. "Just one." He replied softly. "Protect!"

Before Richard could react to the sudden command, a bolt of light hit him in the back even as he made to turn to face his attacker.

The body crumbled to the floor as the ward once again threw Becca back to the floor of her cell. Reaching between the bars had not even been a thought to her as the well-entrenched command took hold. 'Protect'. One of the first commands Heudros had ever taught her. And one he had used often. And one he had found a perfect use for now.

Walking over to where Richard now lay unconscious on the floor, Heudros quickly once again took possession of his wand and, stepping out of the cell, resealed the door.

"You took a very great chance on that gamble." Becca stated sullenly as Heudros brought down the wards that comprised her own cell door.

"Not at all." Heudros replied with a smug smile. "I taught you, after all. And I have great faith in my lessons."

The words sent a cold chill through her. Becca well remembered the lessons Heudros had taught her, as well as 'how' he had taught her. What seemed like endless pain for failure and barely the smallest word of praise for success. Exercises designed not only to focus her power, but beat down any resistance to the will of her 'master'.

Pulling herself out of the memories that threatened to overwhelm her, Becca focused her thoughts on something else.

"You said you were Richard's host." She said. "Is that true?"

Heudros gave a dramatic sigh. "I'm afraid it is. One of the mistakes I made with you, not giving you an anchor in this realm, I sought to correct with Richard. But the thirteen, traitors that they showed themselves to be in the end, taught me it is best to rely on one's self for the truly important things. And so I took the yoke of host upon myself with Richard. And pay heed to it, girl." Heudros warned her, pointing a finger at her. "Having a host gives him considerable advantage over you. A 'Power' with no host is far easier to vanquish from this realm than one that has one."

"I'll keep that in mind." Becca replied. "What are you going to do with Richard now?"

"Currently, put as much distance between us as possible." Heudros replied. "Being his host affords me very little, but costs me a great deal. For one, we are always connected. It makes it relatively easy for him to find me, but also allows me to know when he gets too close."

"Why leave him in a cell?" She ask. "Why not just kill him?"

"Because, girl," Heudros replied flatly, "killing one of you is not an easy thing. In truth, I don't even know if it can be done."

"Why not?"

"You're magic, Becca. That is all your kind are. Pure magic given a form. How does one 'kill' magic? No, I think all anyone could do is send you back to the realm you came from. This 'draining' of your magic, what Richard wanted to do with you, I think that is what 'kills' your kind here in this realm. Draining off your magic until there is nothing left and you are forced to return to your own realm. Whether or not you continue to exist in your own realm as a 'person' I can not say."

Becca quickly turned to the cell where Richard laid. "It does not matter to me what becomes of him." She replied, raising her hand. "I will gladly give him a taste of the end he planned for me."

But Heudros grabbed her hand and forced it down. "Stupid girl." He stated sharply. "You have no idea what you're doing. What forces you may unleash. Richard is far more powerful than you right now. Trying to absorb that much magic could seriously damage you. It could even kill you."

Becca considered Heudros' words, then nodded. "Very well. You may be right. But that cell will not hold him when he wakes."

"It'll hold him long enough." Heudros replied with a mischievous grin. "Richard absorbed your power. Your magic. These wards are set up to respond to that magic. He'll be trapped in that cell until your magic fades in him."

"How long will that take?"

"Who knows?" Heudros stated, grabbing her arm and pulling her after him. "Days? Weeks? And even then he'll not likely be in much of a condition to bother with us for a while, since the only way he can drain that magic out off himself while he's in that cell is to attack the wards until the magic is depleted by them. My guess is by then he'll be nursing one very bad headache.

But even still, I don't intend to stand around here waiting to find out. Let go."

But Becca pulled sharply against his hold. "Let go of me!" She stated. "I am not going anywhere with you. I am free of this place and I am leaving!"

Heudros stood blocking the stairs. "Really? To go where?" He asked in a low voice. "Where are you going to go, Becca? Back to the castle remains? That is likely the first place Richard will come looking for you. Somewhere else? He'll always find you. And you'll never know he's there. Not until it's too late. At least with me you would know when he was coming because of our connection."

"I'd rather take that chance than be your slave again, Heudros."

"Stupid girl. You have no idea what forces you are up against. Your only safe course of action is to stay with me."

"I tend to feel I am safest on my own." Becca replied flatly.

Heudros raised his wand and began to cite a spell. But Becca instantly brought her own magic to bare, bringing up her protection wards to stop Heudros.

"Don't be stupid, girl!" Heudros bellowed at her. "You don't stand a chance on your own!

"So you say, Heudros. But I feel very differently on the matter. And it would be an insult to Bo for all the help he gave me to free myself of you to go back to being little more than your puppet again."

"Bo?" Heudros stated incredulously. "Black's vacant stare? I doubt he cares one way or the other what you do with your life, girl. So you'd do best to try doing something to preserve it."

"And I shall." Becca stated. "For like you, I intend to get as far from Richard as I can. Goodbye, Heudros."

And before the wizard could say anything more, the fledgling 'Power' disappeared.

****

Q&A

Silverfox

****

I hate to agree with Heudros, but stupid girl indeed. I hope she's learned her lesson now and will be more cautious in the future. (Of course that will probably only mean that she'll not trust anyone at all and cause even more trouble ...)

While technically not a question, Dear, I felt I needed to add my bit here.

Becca most definitely has trust issues. But she's got a lot of others as well. In fact, this girl has more issues than National Geographic magazine.

And oddly enough, if you think about it, all of Becca problems start with her WANTING to trust someone.

But when everything is said and done, what you are left with is, essentially, nothing more than a fifteen year old girl in an adult body, with all the social skills of a bad tempered three-year-old with anger management problems.

Again, the girl's got i-s-s-u-e-s.

All reviews are as of 7/5/2009.

And remember:

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday, happy birthdayyyyyyyyyy, happy birthday to me!

:: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: ESCAPE

Becca's shock at seeing her former master quickly shifted to anger as she launched herself in a rage at the bars. But she again encounter the searing pain as she wrapped one hand about the bars and reached the other through them.

But even as the pain course through her, she still pressed herself as hard against the bars as she could, reaching her whole arm through the bars as she clawed at the air, trying to get the man on the other side. But eventually the ward proved too much for her and she was thrown back to the floor.

Becca quickly pulled herself up to a sitting position and raised her hand. A bolt of dull light flared out from her palm and erupted into sparks as it tried to pass between the glowing bars.

The man in the other cell gave a choked, gurgling laugh as he watched her.

"You were stupid when I last saw you and you haven't improved any. Either in your skills or your intellect." He stated in a rasped voice. "Haven't you done anything with yourself all these months?"

Becca slowly pulled herself up from the floor. "Yes, I have been 'doing something' with myself." She answered venomously. "I have been putting a great deal of time into finding you....., master."

Heudros seemed to take the news with little interest. "Really? For what?"

"Doing the only thing Richard has suggested I totally agreed with. Killing you."

This piece of news Heudros took with a deep frown. "Really? So the little ingratiate has been planning my downfall for some time, has he? Recruiting you to his cause? Winning your trust until he could steal your magic? Hmmm...., Richard has been a busy little boy, hasn't he?"

"One would think you less facetious about your fate, Heudros." Becca pointed out.

The man regarded her for a moment. "Really? Do you think I should be worried that Richard has some nefarious end planned for me? Then tell me something, Becca." Heudros went on before she could even think to answer. "If Richard's grand plan was just to kill me, why am I still alive? I called him shortly after Mr. Black stole you away from me......"

"After?!" Becca seized on the information.

Heudros frowned at the outburst. "Yes. Several weeks after. It's not a casual thing to call one of you. It takes planning, and a great deal of work."

Becca returned his frown. "Richard said you called him first. But that you were unsatisfied with him and so you discarded him and called me instead."

Heudros gave a rasping laugh at the information. "Is that what he told you?! Great magic! That boy can come up with stories. So, what other great yarns did he spin for you?"

Becca crossed her arms over her chest even as she knelt on the ground. "I do not think it is in my interest to share that information with you."

Heudros sneered down at the girl. "Then you best expand your interests, my girl. Because right now I am the only hope you have of getting out of this place. But in order to do that, I need to know what this creature is up to."

"I told you. To kill you. That is all Richard has talked about with me."

"Did you not listen to him, girl?" Heudros stated as forcefully as he could. "He is after this....this 'elder' of your kind. And he intends to do to him what he did to you. Steal his power. His magic."

"I know nothing about any 'elder'." Becca replied. "All Richard ever talked to me about was finding you so we could finally free ourselves of you."

"Ah. Back to killing me." Heudros stated in a tone that sounded as though the matter bored him. "But again, girl, if killing me was his plan, then why am I still alive? If that was Richard's grand plan, I would surely be dead by now. But he kept me around. Allowed me my freedom until only a few days ago. Now what changed in those few days? That is what I want to know. And what is he ultimately after?"

Becca gave a shriek of rage. "What is the matter with this world!?" She yelled. "Why is it everyone seems to think I care so much about their personal problems? First Mr. Black and now you!"

"Black?" Heudros asked with a spark of sudden interest. "You've seen Orion Black?"

Becca stared back at him. "And if I have?"

"What did he want?"

"He seemed to think I was responsible for something."

"For what?"

Becca considered the question for a few moments. "He said witches and wizards were being killed. In the same manner the thirteen used to do. He thought I was responsible. That I was back with you, doing your bidding again. I told him....."

"Witches and wizards are being killed?" Heudros cut her off quickly.

Becca paused. "That is what he said."

"Just like before?"

Becca again considered her answer. But the information seemed just as unimportant to her as before. "That is what Mr. Black said. That is why he thought...."

"Well, Richard has indeed been busy." Heudros stated, again cutting her off. "He's been building his power base right under my nose and I never saw it." Heudros turned sharply back to her. "Did you tell Richard about your meeting with Black?"

Becca nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off the man in the cell next to her's. Heudros was seeing something in all of this 'useless' information. But she wasn't sure what. And it irritated her.

Heudros gave a short, rasping laugh. "Well, that certainly explains Richard's sudden need to put his plans into action." He stated. "He felt Black was onto him. That the man had managed to track the events down to you, and now he worried he would trace them back to him." Heudros gave his chains a slight pull as he looked them over. "And it makes our getting out of here even more imperative. And the sooner the better."

Becca watched him test the strength of the chains through the glowing bars. "But how? You can't get free and I can't get past these bars."

Heudros turned back to her. "But you can." He replied. "Didn't you notice the last time you touched them, you could hold onto them for several seconds? You could even stick your arm in between them. My guess is that by draining your power, Richard weakened you just enough that the wards don't register you as a full magical power any longer."

Becca tilted her head to the side as she studied the man in the other cell. "It still hurt." She pointed out firmly.

"Did it hurt as much as it's going to when Richard comes back here and drains you into oblivion, girl?"

Becca gave the question serious consideration before shaking her head slightly.

"Then get over here." Heudros ordered. "Your magic is still strong enough that it can't get through the bars itself. But if you put your arm through and fire a spell at these chains, I'm willing to bet it'll work."

Becca pulled herself to her feet, steeling herself up for the task as she walked across the cell. One she knew from experience wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Just do it quickly." Heudros told her. "The faster you do it the faster it'll be over."

Becca nodded slightly and extended her arm towards the wards.

"Wait!" Heudros called out suddenly.

Becca quickly pulled her arm back, marginally glad for any reprieve from her task.

"Aim." Heudros pronounced carefully. "Be very careful how you aim. I don't want to come out of this short one hand or one arm."

The fledgling 'Power' frowned at him, thinking how very unconcerned she would be should the events turn out that way. But still, she needed Heudros for the moment. He seemed to have some sort of an idea how to get them out of this place, and she desperately did not want to be there when Richard returned. If taking just part of her magic had felt like it had, she indeed didn't want to ever know what his taking all of it felt like.

Taking a deep breath, Becca walked up to the very edge of the bars, raised her arm, and aimed through the bars at where she wanted the spell to go. She wasn't sure if she even had enough power left to break the chains holding Heudros. But not even trying meant they would still be there when Richard returned, and she already felt she knew the outcome of that scenario.

"Hurry up, girl!" Heudros rasped. "I haven't got all day and neither do you."

"You wished to keep your arm....., master." Becca bit out, still trying to judge her aim. "That takes more careful aim of the spell. Otherwise, I would be just as happy to take it off for you."

Heudros fell into a surly silence as Becca continued to judge all the factors before her.

"Do not move." She finally told Heudros firmly. "Not one inch."

Bracing herself against the pain she knew was coming, Becca stepped forward quickly, pushing her arm between the bars. She grabbed hold of one of them with her other hand to help steady her aim and let the spell fly from her palm.

A slight yelp of pain answered the spell as it struck the side of the manacle around Heudros' wrist and shot off into the wall where it knocked a large hole in the brick and mortar as it erupted in a small shower of sparks.

In her own cell, Becca pulled back from the bars and collapsed to the floor. The wards were strong. More than anything she had ever encountered before. And putting her arm between them was more painful than any punishment Heudros or his followers had meted out to her.

And great magic! She had to do it again!

"Come on, girl!" Came a voice through the haze of pain. "We haven't got time for you to nurse your pain. And be more careful this time! You nearly killed me with that debris."

Becca grit her teeth as she slowly pulled herself up to her hands and knees. "Be silent!" She stated harshly. "You still have your arm. Be grateful. For next time my aim may not be as sure."

Heudros again fell silent as Becca slowly got back to her feet. Pulling back up to her full height, she threw her hair back and glared at the man before her through the bars. The pain that coursed through her body left her positively numb. But she wasn't about to let Heudros see her weakness.

Raising her arm once more, Becca concentrated on her target. "Stay still." She advised Heudros again.

Once more Becca took a deep breath, steeled herself, and thrust her arm through the bars, immediately letting loose a bolt of light as the spell hurled itself at its target.

Heudros gave a small gasp as he felt the manacle around his other wrist give way and he fell to the floor, his legs momentarily unable to support the sudden weight.

For several minutes he stayed that way, re-gathering his strength and getting use to a position that did not have him upright with his arms pulled above his head.

"Very good, Becca." He finally rasp out. "Very, very good."

Having once again been thrown back to the floor of her own cell by the ward, Becca sat simply staring at the man opposite her, trying to will some feeling back into her own battered body.

"I'm so glad you're pleased." She snapped back with a biting sarcasm. "Now how exactly are we suppose to get out of these cells?"

Whatever plans Heudros may have had, he never got the chance to express them. No sooner had Becca asked the question then a bright light erupted in the area outside the cells.

In the aftermath stood Richard, looking anything but pleased.

And nor did Heudros appear to want to give him much time to take in the situation.

"Ungrateful wretch!" He yelled in his rasping, cracking voice. "Planned to kill me, did you?"

Richard instantly turned towards his master. "How did you get free?" He ask, but quickly shook his head. "No matter. You'll not get free again." Holding up his hand, Richard shot a bolt of light at the cell. But as it reached the bars, It erupted into a shower of sparks and dissolved.

Richard stared at the display for several seconds, trying to reason out what had gone wrong. But it was Heudros that answered his questioning stare.

"Becca's magic," He gave a hissing laugh at the younger man. "You're infused with her magic. And you set up these wards to respond to her magic. So as long as you have her magic in you, you can't fire off any spells between these bars." Heudros leaned into the bars, wrapping his hands about them harmlessly as he pressed his face against them. "So if you want to do anything about my being free, 'little boy', you'll have to come in here to do it." Heudros gave him a condescending grin through the bars. "If you dare."

"Dare?!" Richard bellowed at the man behind the bars, followed by a menacing laugh. "Stay free from your chains if it gives you some sense of power 'little master'. I could not care less."

"Fear me still, do you?" Heudros taunted him. "Even beaten down and caged in a cell, you'll not face me one on one. What a pathetic creature you are. And to think I made myself your host. Gave you an anchor in this realm to help you stay. What useless creatures I have burdened myself with. First Becca.....and now you. Sad, useless little creature."

"Do not even mention her name in the same breath as mine!" Richard yelled back at him. "I am nothing like her!" He stated, turning to where Becca stood watching the two men intently. "Look at her! She is a child frightened of her own shadow. Just like the others, she can not even begin to see the potential she has."

"She has more than you!" Heudros replied. "She at least stood up for herself, no matter how inappropriate her action was. You won't even do that!"

Another bolt of magic hurled itself against the bars and erupted into sparks. "Silence, dog!"

Heudros laughed at the display. "Very brave of you, 'little boy'. Throwing spells and insults at me while you know I am safely tucked away in this cell and you are out of my reach."

A bolt of light flew at the door of Heudros' cell. The lock clicked back and the door immediately swung open.

Heudros' eyes widened in what might have been taken for fear as he stepped away from the open door.

Richard wasted no time in approaching his prey. Stepping into the cell he marched over to where Heudros stood, eyeing him carefully.

Stepping up to him, Richard stared down at the older man. "Any words to say now, oh brave master?" He asked in a low, menacing tone.

Heudros looked up at the 'Power', a small smile creeping over his lips. "Just one." He replied softly. "Protect!"

Before Richard could react to the sudden command, a bolt of light hit him in the back even as he made to turn to face his attacker.

The body crumbled to the floor as the ward once again threw Becca back to the floor of her cell. Reaching between the bars had not even been a thought to her as the well-entrenched command took hold. 'Protect'. One of the first commands Heudros had ever taught her. And one he had used often. And one he had found a perfect use for now.

Walking over to where Richard now lay unconscious on the floor, Heudros quickly once again took possession of his wand and, stepping out of the cell, resealed the door.

"You took a very great chance on that gamble." Becca stated sullenly as Heudros brought down the wards that comprised her own cell door.

"Not at all." Heudros replied with a smug smile. "I taught you, after all. And I have great faith in my lessons."

The words sent a cold chill through her. Becca well remembered the lessons Heudros had taught her, as well as 'how' he had taught her. What seemed like endless pain for failure and barely the smallest word of praise for success. Exercises designed not only to focus her power, but beat down any resistance to the will of her 'master'.

Pulling herself out of the memories that threatened to overwhelm her, Becca focused her thoughts on something else.

"You said you were Richard's host." She said. "Is that true?"

Heudros gave a dramatic sigh. "I'm afraid it is. One of the mistakes I made with you, not giving you an anchor in this realm, I sought to correct with Richard. But the thirteen, traitors that they showed themselves to be in the end, taught me it is best to rely on one's self for the truly important things. And so I took the yoke of host upon myself with Richard. And pay heed to it, girl." Heudros warned her, pointing a finger at her. "Having a host gives him considerable advantage over you. A 'Power' with no host is far easier to vanquish from this realm than one that has one."

"I'll keep that in mind." Becca replied. "What are you going to do with Richard now?"

"Currently, put as much distance between us as possible." Heudros replied. "Being his host affords me very little, but costs me a great deal. For one, we are always connected. It makes it relatively easy for him to find me, but also allows me to know when he gets too close."

"Why leave him in a cell?" She ask. "Why not just kill him?"

"Because, girl," Heudros replied flatly, "killing one of you is not an easy thing. In truth, I don't even know if it can be done."

"Why not?"

"You're magic, Becca. That is all your kind are. Pure magic given a form. How does one 'kill' magic? No, I think all anyone could do is send you back to the realm you came from. This 'draining' of your magic, what Richard wanted to do with you, I think that is what 'kills' your kind here in this realm. Draining off your magic until there is nothing left and you are forced to return to your own realm. Whether or not you continue to exist in your own realm as a 'person' I can not say."

Becca quickly turned to the cell where Richard laid. "It does not matter to me what becomes of him." She replied, raising her hand. "I will gladly give him a taste of the end he planned for me."

But Heudros grabbed her hand and forced it down. "Stupid girl." He stated sharply. "You have no idea what you're doing. What forces you may unleash. Richard is far more powerful than you right now. Trying to absorb that much magic could seriously damage you. It could even kill you."

Becca considered Heudros' words, then nodded. "Very well. You may be right. But that cell will not hold him when he wakes."

"It'll hold him long enough." Heudros replied with a mischievous grin. "Richard absorbed your power. Your magic. These wards are set up to respond to that magic. He'll be trapped in that cell until your magic fades in him."

"How long will that take?"

"Who knows?" Heudros stated, grabbing her arm and pulling her after him. "Days? Weeks? And even then he'll not likely be in much of a condition to bother with us for a while, since the only way he can drain that magic out off himself while he's in that cell is to attack the wards until the magic is depleted by them. My guess is by then he'll be nursing one very bad headache.

But even still, I don't intend to stand around here waiting to find out. Let go."

But Becca pulled sharply against his hold. "Let go of me!" She stated. "I am not going anywhere with you. I am free of this place and I am leaving!"

Heudros stood blocking the stairs. "Really? To go where?" He asked in a low voice. "Where are you going to go, Becca? Back to the castle remains? That is likely the first place Richard will come looking for you. Somewhere else? He'll always find you. And you'll never know he's there. Not until it's too late. At least with me you would know when he was coming because of our connection."

"I'd rather take that chance than be your slave again, Heudros."

"Stupid girl. You have no idea what forces you are up against. Your only safe course of action is to stay with me."

"I tend to feel I am safest on my own." Becca replied flatly.

Heudros raised his wand and began to cite a spell. But Becca instantly brought her own magic to bare, bringing up her protection wards to stop Heudros.

"Don't be stupid, girl!" Heudros bellowed at her. "You don't stand a chance on your own!

"So you say, Heudros. But I feel very differently on the matter. And it would be an insult to Bo for all the help he gave me to free myself of you to go back to being little more than your puppet again."

"Bo?" Heudros stated incredulously. "Black's vacant stare? I doubt he cares one way or the other what you do with your life, girl. So you'd do best to try doing something to preserve it."

"And I shall." Becca stated. "For like you, I intend to get as far from Richard as I can. Goodbye, Heudros."

And before the wizard could say anything more, the fledgling 'Power' disappeared.

****

Q&A

Silverfox

:

****

I hate to agree with Heudros, but stupid girl indeed. I hope she's learned her lesson now and will be more cautious in the future. (Of course that will probably only mean that she'll not trust anyone at all and cause even more trouble ...)

While technically not a question, Dear, I felt I needed to add my bit here.

Becca most definitely has trust issues. But she's got a lot of others as well. In fact, this girl has more issues than National Geographic magazine.

And oddly enough, if you think about it, all of Becca problems start with her WANTING to trust someone.

But when everything is said and done, what you are left with is, essentially, nothing more than a fifteen year old girl in an adult body, with all the social skills of a bad tempered three-year-old with anger management problems.

Again, the girl's got i-s-s-u-e-s.

All reviews are as of 7/5/2009.

And remember:

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday, happy birthdayyyyyyyyyy, happy birthday to me!


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: ON HER OWN

Despite Heudros' warning, Becca apparated back to the only real home she had ever had. Although little more than ruins, for some reason the pile of white stones comforted her and gave her strength. And if she needed anything at this point, it was more strength. She still felt the drain of her magic from what Richard had done to her, and her constant exposure to the wards trying to free Heudros had not helped one bit.

Becca turned her tired eyes to the sky. The world outside never seemed to change to her. She had left this place what seemed to her like ages ago on a cold, dark, dreary day, and she returned to exactly the same situation. To her it was as though the past few weeks had never even happened. Even her brief time here, protecting her castle from Mr. Black's unwarranted attacks, were on a day exactly like this one.

As she looked up at the gray, overcast sky, several raindrops falling on her up turned face.

Why had things gotten so complicated? When she had met Richard, she had thought finally the world was going to start making sense to her. Richard could answer her questions. He had seemed so kind and willing to help her.

'Stupid girl.' she admonished herself, echoing Heudros' words. 'He used you. Just like your master used you. He was only kind to you because he wanted something from you. Everyone here is only kind to you because they want something from you.'

'Well, no more!' She told herself. Kindness would be met with suspicion. And she would never trust someone offering her help. That was how you seemed to stay safe in this realm.

Becca looked around herself. The woods seemed even darker to her than usual. Ever shadow was an enemy coming to hurt her.

A bird took flight from a branch overhead and Becca nearly jumped out of her skin, giving a loud cry as she dove for cover behind a large stone, her hand up and palm open, ready to defend herself. But she gave a small, dull laugh as she pulled her hand back and turned it over.

"Defend? How are you going to defend yourself, you stupid girl?" She asked quietly. "You have no magic left. Or at least not enough to fight off Richard should he find you."

How long would it take her magic to replenish itself?

She thought back to the times the thirteen would drain her power from her. She had felt weak for a few days afterwards. But she wasn't that weak now. So Richard must not have drained off as much as the thirteen used to. And even though she had fought the wards, she still could feel some of her power. Maybe she wasn't as bad off as she thought.

But nor was it a theory she cared to test. Looking over her ruined home, she sadly acknowledged she couldn't stay here. About one thing Heudros had likely been right. Richard would come here to look for her as soon as he was free. She had to go somewhere else.

And then what?

She was all alone now in this realm. Her only contact with her own kind aside from Richard was protected, and apparently controlled, by Mr. Black, regardless of what he said.

How she wished she could talk to Bo. He would be a wonderful teacher for her. Showing her how to exist in this realm. He had obviously been here much longer than she or Richard had. He seemed so at ease with all the strange sights and sounds here.

Becca slid down against the large white rock she huddled behind. Hugging her knees to her chest she wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on them finally. With a despairing sigh, she thought over the situation.

She needed to get away from here. For that she needed somewhere to go.

Her best bet, she felt, at getting help was Bo. He was the only one of her own kind so far who hadn't lied to or tried to hurt her. But Bo was the servant of Mr. Black, who hated her.

Becca sighed again. There was the problem.

Mr. Black believed her to be responsible for killing witches and wizards. Well, that hadn't been her. Before she had only done as she had been told by her masters. These new killings that Mr. Black had spoken of she knew nothing about. But Heudros had indicated Richard might have been responsible. She would simply have to explain that to Mr. Black.

With a new resolve, Becca stood up and dusted herself off. She would go to Mr. Black's house and simply explain things to him.

But as soon as she took the first step her new found resolve already began to leave her.

Where did Mr. Black live? She only knew 'here'. And she knew far too little of the outside world to go wandering around it with no idea where she needed to be. Mr. Black could be a few miles away or a hundred. She simply had no way of knowing.

"Hello, Becca."

Becca barely had time to even react to the greeting before a bolt of light hit her in the back, sending her sprawling into the dirt and mud in front of her.

"Oh, get up, girl." The voice went on, each word dripping with contempt. "At least make this some sort of a challenge for me."

'Focus.' a small voice whispered to her. 'Gather your remaining magic and focus it.'

"You are a disappointment, Becca." Richard stated from somewhere close by. "I expected far better of you."

"Well, I am so sorry to disappoint you." Becca replied softly as she tried to focus on where the voice was coming from. "I'll try to do better."

In a solid flowing move, Becca rolled over onto her back, her hand already out as she saw Richard's tower form behind her. Putting everything she could muster into it, she let the blot of light fly.

The spell found its mark, hitting him in the chest and sending him backwards, falling into a clump of grass.

'Get up!' the small voice screamed in her head. 'If you stay down you're done for. Get up!'

Scrambling to her feet, Becca turned and disappeared around the corner of a large stone. Before her a small dark opening seemed to appear out of the rocks, forming a sort of low cave.

Diving for it, Becca easily slid her petite form between the rocks and found herself, not in a cave, but in a tunnel.

'All right, Becca,' she silently told herself, 'now you really need to think. You're on the west side of the castle. The tunnel must be part of the lower levels. Where does it go?'

With hardly a pause, Becca began threading her way through the low tunnel. She knew it was a gamble. The tunnel could end at any moment, Richard could be right behind her, or he could simply choose to collapse the whole of the structure on top of her.

She quickly thought to bring her shields up to guard against any falling rocks, but just as quickly discarded the idea. Magic use would help Richard find her all the faster. Drawing him to her position like a beacon lit up in pitch darkness.

"Becca!" She heard him calling from outside the stones. "Where are you? You can't hide from me forever."

Becca peeked out of a whole where a dim, gray stream of light flooded into the area she stood crouched in. Richard stood directly outside of where she was.

But he wasn't facing the castle. He was facing the woods.

He had no idea where she was, Becca realized. He thought she had run off into the woods.

Becca wasted no time in the opportunity that was being handed to her. Slipping her hand through the hole she fired off another spell, catching Richard between the shoulder blades.

As soon as the spell hit, Becca pulled her hand back in and ran as quickly as she could through the tunnel in the direction she had been heading. If there wasn't any debris blocking the tunnel, she should be able to follow it to the north side of the castle, furthest away from where Richard was. From there she might be able to effect an escape.

Becca sighed with gratitude when she saw the dim light illuminating what was left of the archway to the outside. Once through it she wasted no time in running for the woods, feeling that as long as she didn't do magic, the trees and low brush would do a good enough job of concealing her.

As she ran through the forest, she could hear Richard's voice fading in the distance, calling her name over and over and random blasts as he tried to flush her out of the castle remains.

Her poor castle. Richard would likely reduce it to dust in order to try and find her. If everything he had told her was true, she was the next step in his plans. Without her he couldn't go forward with any of his madness.

He had spoken of 'others'. More of their kind that inhabited this realm. She had to find them and warn them of the danger they were in.

But how to find them? She only knew of one other. And she had met him purely by accident. But she did know Bo. And maybe he could help her in her quest to find the 'others'.

But how to find Bo? She had no idea where he was, or if he even lived with Mr. Black. And past that, she had no idea where Mr. Black was either.

Giving another sigh, Becca figured her best course of action at this point was simply to try and find somewhere safe where she could try and sort out her next move.

Listening intently to the sounds around her, she figured she was far enough away from Richard to apparate safely to another location.

Concentrating, Becca tried to envision what she had once seen of a city. Large, tall buildings much like her castle, all set together with paved pathways running in between them.

Moments later she opened her eyes to find herself in a place, that if it hadn't been for the lack of trees, was much like where she had left. Cold, wet, and dark. The only difference she could see was that the paths between trees she had been following were now replaced by concrete roads and the trees by stone buildings. But thankfully, she didn't see any people about. In fact, the narrow, dirty little road she was on seemed completely deserted.

Becca leaned against one of the buildings and thought. She was apparently at least in a city. That was good.

But she didn't know which one and she still didn't know how to find Mr. Black. That was bad.

Giving a loud sigh, Becca decided she needed to try and find another of her kind. Find one of these 'others' Richard mentioned and start to warn them about her 'brother'.

Trying with all her reserves to stay calm, Becca concentrated all her energies into sending out a silent call. It was dangerous to be sure. One of the 'others' might hear her call, but so might Richard.

Becca decided the best strategy was to keep her time in one place short. She would send out her call, wait a few minutes, then move on. If one of the 'others' was in this city, surely they would hear her long before Richard would.

But in the middle of her thoughts, a voice suddenly distracted her.

"Here, Darlin'. How much?"

Becca turned towards the voice to see a man of about fifty approaching her, his hand held out towards her.

She quickly pulled back to evade the man's grab. "How much?" She echoed. "For what?"

The man gave a drunken laugh. "For you, Darlin'. Your quite a looker. What's your price?"

Becca was about to give the man an answer he was likely to never forget when a second voice caught her attention and sent a chill up her spine.

"Becca!"

Turning, Becca saw Richard striding towards her, malevolence in every step.

But before he could reach her, the other man stepped in front of him.

"Here! What's she to you, mate? I saw her first."

Becca didn't wait to see what was going to happen. She turned and took off down the street, heading for the opposite opening.

"Oh help!" Was the only thought running through her mind, her silent call becoming one of panic and fear now. "Help, help, help."

Reaching the opposite opening, Becca disapparated, sending herself back to the castle. At least there she could hide in the woods again.

But as soon as she disapparated, she felt something grab hold of her in the void between where she had been and where she was headed and yank her in a different direction.

Tried though she might, she couldn't break the invisible hold on her.

When she felt solid ground under her feet again, Becca looked up to find herself now standing in a large, open foyer made of black and white marble squares, a shimmering field of magic around her. But she barely had time to try and figure out where she was or why when a new voice assaulted her.

"Becca!"

Turning about the fledgling 'Power' found herself facing Orion Black, who looked none to happy to see her, much as she feared. And she wasn't given much time to try and explain.

"Bo!" Orion immediately shouted. "Defend!"

Before Becca could even answer, the tower of dark robes materialized in front of her, effectively stopping Mr. Black's advancement towards her.

Knowing in her weakened state she didn't stand a chance against the other 'Power', Becca simply stayed on the floor where she was, assuming the most defenseless pose she could. And to her surprise, the tower of dark robes didn't attack her or try and place a single spell on her. Instead, as he approached, the boggart reached out a hand to her and simply held it there.

Staring at the offered hand for a moment, Becca finally slowly reached up and laid her's in it, allowing the boggart to carefully help her to her feet.

Once she was up, Bo made a furtive effort to brush a bit of the dirt off of her cloths, but quickly gave up when it only seemed to make the muddy marks worse. In stead he turned around, directing Becca in front of him and stood her facing his Channeler, his arms held out on either side of the petite girl in front of him.

Becca felt she must look all the world like a gift Bo was presenting to his master.

A master who still looked none to pleased to see her.

"Is this some new version of the word 'Defend' I'm not associated with?" He asked the dark pillar. "Or did you just honestly get your target mixed up?"

But before the boggart could even respond, Mr. Black brought the fight back to Becca's door.

"How did you get past the wards?" The Auror stated, his wand now drawn and trained on her.

Before Becca could even answer, the tower of dark robes shifted from it's place and materialized in front of Orion, effectively stopping his advancement on the girl.

Immediately Bo began a rapid series of gestures, all directed at his Channeler, who was frowning even deeper at them.

"You brought her here?" He demanded. "Why?"

The boggart made several more gestures in the air.

The frown remained in place. "As a matter of fact," Orion stated flatly, "I would be interested in the reason."

Bo made another series of gestures.

"Help?" Orion repeated. "She needed help? With what?"

"I was being chased!" Becca quickly spoke up quickly , peering slightly around her protector, but being sure to stay out of Orion's wand's line of sight. "By Richard. He was going to hurt me."

Orion frown at the outburst, looking around the tower of dark robes standing in front of him. "Richard? Who in Magic's name is 'Richard'?"

"He's a bad person." Becca spoke up again. "He is a very bad person."

Orion sighed as he crossed his arms in front of him. Bo had already shown he was more than capable of controlling the errant 'Power', so the immediate threat to his family was contained. And to be perfectly honest, Becca didn't impress him as looking or feeling very dangerous at all. In fact, all the Auror could feel from her at the moment was a very real, nearly mind numbing fear. Whoever or whatever this 'Richard' was, she was very much afraid of him. And to Orion, anything a 'Power' would be afraid of was a far more immediate threat.

"Keep going." Orion stated. "You have yet to answer the question."

Becca tilted her head slightly as she studied the man standing slightly behind the large black pillar. "But I did answer it." She replied. "He is a very, very bad person." She went on, and then, when that didn't seem to be satisfying the Auror, added with a sudden burst of inspiration, "He hurt me."

Orion's frown deepened into a scowl. "There are a lot of 'very, very bad' people in the world, Becca. Bad people who hurt others. What makes this 'Richard' so special is what I want to know."

Becca paused, unsure of what to say next. Of one thing she was fairly certain. This wasn't going at all the way she had hoped. Mr. Black simply wasn't going to listen to her. He believed her responsible for the recent killings he had spoken of. Killings Heudros said Richard had most likely been responsible for. But how could she make Mr. Black understand that? How could she make him believe her?

A new voice in the foyer suddenly caught both their attentions.

"Orion, what's going on here?" Katlin ask as she entered the front foyer, carefully looking over its three occupants.

Turning sharply to his wife, Orion was about to warn her out of the foyer. But before he even got out the first word of warning, Becca disapparated, reappearing behind Katlin. In a clumsy but quick move, Becca grabbed one of Katlin's arms and pinned it behind her, wrapping her other arm around the Elite and laying it across her chest.

"If you move, I will kill her!" Becca stated, her voice high with fear.

Orion immediately stopped his advancement towards the two women. "All right." He stated, taking a step back as he watched his wife's reactions far more closely than those of the girl behind her. "I'm staying right where I am, Becca. Just don't hurt Katlin."

"She doesn't want to hurt me, Orion." Katlin stated, her voice sounding utterly calm and relaxed while her eyes conveyed a whole series of other emotions. "She's scared and she's frightened. That's all."

"And scared and frightened people tend to act rashly." Orion stated in a low, curt tone. One that earned him a disapproving look from Katlin.

"She's not going to hurt me, Orion." Katlin replied firmly, then turned her attention to the girl behind her. "Are you, Becca?" She stated.

The girl seemed unsure of how to answer for a moment, but then tightened her grip across Katlin's chest. "I will if he tries to hurt me!" She stated in the same high pitched voice.

Katlin gave her a small smile. "Mr. Black doesn't want to hurt you, Becca. Neither do I."

But the girl quickly pointed an accusing finger at the Auror. "He doesn't believe me." She stated. "He....he came to me before, and he accused me of doing all sorts of things. But it wasn't me!" She all but shouted at Orion. "It was Richard! Heudros told me so."

"Heudros?" Orion stated. "You found Heudros?"

"Heudros was with Richard.....or was more his prisoner." The fledgling 'Power' replied. "Heudros said that it was Richard that killed those witches and wizards. That he was building up his power to attack the 'elder'."

Orion frowned at the comment as Bo looked over at the other 'Power'.

"Elder? What elder?"

"I don't know!" Becca stated. "That is why I came here. I need help. I need to find this elder and I need to warn him! Richard is a very bad person and they are not safe. He stoled my power, and he said he would attack others and steal their power too. And then he was going to attack the elder and..........................."

But Orion quickly waved her to a stop. "Just..........just stop a minute." He stated. "Girl, you're not making any sense at all."

Katlin felt the fledgling 'Power's' grip on her tense. Why was it that her husband had so much difficulty properly negotiating tight situations? He just never seemed to be able to grasp the concept that sometimes brute force simply wasn't the answer.

Reaching up, Katlin gently laid her free hand over the one holding onto her. "Becca," she said softly, "listen to me. You know me. You know I mean you no harm. And I promise you, Mr. Black doesn't want to hurt you either. But you can't expect us to help you while you're standing here threatening me. All you are doing is frightening me and aggravating my husband. Now please," she went on in the same soft, reassuringly calm voice, "let me go...."

The grip instantly tightened. "No!"

Katlin sighed quietly. "All right." She answered. "But I'm getting tired standing here. Can we at least go somewhere more comfortable? We can both go to the front room. We'll sit down, and I won't try to run away or hurt you, nor will Mr. Black. We'll just all sit down quietly and you can tell us all about this 'Richard'. If he's been hurting you, Mr. Black and I most definitely want to know. We want to help you. But we can't do that the way things are now. All right?"

The girl seemed to consider the offer.

"Are you hungry, Love?" Katlin asked her in the same low, concerned tone.

From behind her, Katlin felt the girl nod.

"Would some tea be nice? A few sandwiches? And while you eat, you tell us all about this 'Richard' and why he frightens you so much."

Katlin felt the arm across her chest loosen and slowly begin to slip away inch by inch. Until Becca had completely released her she didn't so much as move a muscle, and the look in her eyes warned Orion to do the same.

Finally, when she felt herself out of the fledgling 'Power's' grasp, she slowly turned to face the girl.

Never had Katlin seen someone looking so defeat as the petite girl who now stood before her. Staring at the foyer's black and white square tiles, she gave a soft sniff, refusing to look up at any one of them.

Slowly Katlin stepped forward and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"All right then," she said soothingly as the fledgling 'Power' still tensed slightly under her touch, "let's go have a nice talk, shall we? Tets?" Katlin called as she directed Becca towards one the open doorways. "Please bring some tea and sandwiches to the front room, will you?"

Orion stood for several seconds in the foyer, the tower of dark robes standing next to him. Finally he gave a sigh and waved Bo after him.

"Might as well go see what's up." He said to the boggart, who obediently glided across the marble floor after him. "If nothing else, it's bound to be an interesting tale."

The boggart gave a soft sound of acknowledgement as he followed Orion out of the foyer.

Q&A

Silverfox

:****

While Richard being summoned after Becca makes more sense in many ways it means he's had a lot less time in this realm. So how come he's that far ahead of Becca? If it's all due to having a host ... *eyes Bo*

This is actually a really good question. Mostly because it gives me the chance to impart some information not currently available via the story.

Just to be straight on this, yes, Richard was summoned after Becca. Why did Heudros give Richard a host and not Becca? Because originally he didn't know that a 'Power' needed a host in this realm. He learned that from Orion.

So when he called Richard, he made sure he corrected that 'problem' by making himself Richard's host. He also felt that doing so would make the 'Power' more subservient to the host. Something he has since found out isn't quite true.

Now, if Richard is 'younger' than Becca, why is he so much more 'advanced' than her? Well, that all comes down to personality, Dear. A point that will be made by someone else in this story arc is that even though the 'Powers' are non-corporeal, in their own realm, they do exist as sentient beings. And they are each individuals, just as we are. Some are more sophisticated than others, more intelligent, or simply have more forceful personalities.

Then you have some like poor little Becca. The world's doormat. Bless her heart, she tries to be a force to be reckoned with, but she just can't ever seem to manage it without totally screwing it sideways. Look at what she did to the castle. Charly was completely right there in what he suspected about that. She honestly didn't mean to destroy it. She just got a good head of steam going and then couldn't control it.

And another point that sets them very much apart is that Richard has a plan, folks. He's looking to the future. Where is he now, where does he want to be, and how does he get there?

Becca lives very much 'in the moment'. Where am I now, what's wrong with it, and what horrible thing is going to happen to me next? And until she learns to control her power better, things aren't going to improve much for her. But to her defense, remember that she is little more than a fifteen year old girl...........encompassing a nearly unimaginable amount of power.

Oh, and with Bo you're simply dealing with more experience. Remember, Bo has been in this realm a reaaaallllllyyyyyyy long time. He's had a lot longer to get used to living here.

All reviews are as of 07/19/2009.

And remember;

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to me!  
PAR is another year older!


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: GETTING ANSWERS

Orion paced back and forth behind the couch as he listened to the two women on the couch talked quietly for several minutes.

To his side stood the tower of dark robes, his attention seemingly fixed on the two on the sofa.

"I certainly hope this has served as a good lesson for you." Orion informed him as he stopped in front of him, drawing the boggart's attention to him for the moment.

The boggart gave a small, questioning peep of a sound as he stared down at his Channeler.

"About why we don't freely apparate people into our home?" Orion explained. "You never know what trouble they bring with them."

The boggart made a small series of gestures then folded his hands back together under his robes.

Orion sighed to himself. "But you didn't know that for sure, did you? She could have just been trying to get your attention. To get you to do exactly what you did."

The boggart signed again.

Orion answered it with another sigh and a shake of his head. "I swear, you'll open the front door to anyone, won't you?" He stated.

The boggart didn't answer, but instead simply returned his attention to the two on the sofa.

Seated with her body turned so that her back was mostly against the arm of the sofa, Becca sat stuffing one sandwich after another down as Katlin talked quietly to her.

From what Orion could gather, most of the conversation was one sided and consisted of little more than Katlin reassuring the girl she was safe in the house and asking if she wanted another sandwich.

For someone so small, Orion simply couldn't understand how she could eat so much.

Finally, on having the plate of sandwiches offered to her once more, Becca shook her head, opting instead for a healthy gulp of her tea.

"Are we finally done feeding the third world nation?" Orion asked.

Both Katlin and Becca turned to him. The former with a scowl and the other with a puzzled look on her face.

"Are you done eating?" Orion rephrased the question.

Wiping her mouth on the napkin Katlin handed her, Becca nodded, placing her cup down on the table.

"Good." He stated. "Because I have some questions."

The fledgling 'Power's' eyes widened as she quickly turned to Katlin, who patted her hand in a gentle manner as she smiled at her.

"There's nothing to worry about." She reassured the girl. "Mr. Black and I are both just interested in what brought you to our door, that's all."

The girl brightened like a school child who finally was asked a question she knew the answer to.

"Bo!"

Orion frowned at her. But before he could try again, Katlin got there first.

"No, no, Becca." She replied gently. "I meant, 'why' did you come here?"

Becca considered the question carefully. "Because I had nowhere else to go." She replied finally. "The castle was destroyed. Heudros only wanted me as his slave again, and Richard was being very cruel to me."

Orion raised a finger. "Ah! We're getting closer now." He announced with a heavy tone of sarcasm, which earned him another deeper glower from his wife. But she just as quickly turned a pleasant smile back to the girl next to her.

"Becca, why did you specifically come here?" Katlin tried again. "Why come to Mr. Black and myself?"

Orion swore he could practically smell the smoke as Becca mulled over the question.

"Because Richard is trying to hurt me." She finally answered. "He was very kind to me before. He helped me when I needed someone to show me....." but abruptly the girl stopped in her narrative as though her words had run into a brick wall. "I needed help." She corrected quickly. "And Richard was very kind at first. But then he locked me in a cage and he said he wanted to steal my power."

"So Richard is like Heudros?" Katlin asked. "Someone who wants to make you his slave?"

Becca quickly shook her head. "Oh no. Richard doesn't want me." She said, her tone and her head lowering at the same time. "He only wants my power. He said he would take it from me. All of it. And then I would....not exist anymore. Because power....., magic, is all I am, like Mr. Black said."

"So Richard is a wizard who wants to take your power from you?"

Becca shook her head again. "Richard is not a wizard." She stated.

Katlin looked confused. "He's a muggle?"

Becca tilted her head slightly to the side. "A what?"

But Orion stepped forward, bringing the conversation to a stop with a loud sigh. "Ok, girl." He stated, feeling the fledgling 'Power' would talk in circles all night without a firmer direction placed before her. "Let's try something different. You start talking about Richard, and only stop when I say 'Oh, now I understand'."

Becca looked a bit perplexed by the offer. "I.....I'm not sure where to begin." She answered.

"Try the beginning." Orion replied. "I often find that a good place."

Becca paused for a very long time as she thought back. "I guess," she said finally, "that that would be where Heudros created Richard."

The word 'created' struck a very negative cord in Orion, whose eyes widened as he suddenly leaned over the back of the sofa. "He did what!?"

Becca looked up, startled. "Does....does that qualify as your understa.........?"

"No!" Orion stated sharply, walking about to the front of the sofa. "Keep talking. In fact, I'll make this a whole lot easier for you. I'll ask questions, you answer them." He said. "Now, are you telling me that that idiot of a wizard, Heudros, went and created another 'Power'?"

Becca quickly nodded, not wishing to say anything that might make the wizard in front of her any angrier.

"What is wrong with that fool?" Orion stated, turning to the ceiling for a moment. "Is he completely incapable of learning from his mistakes?"

Becca considered the statement for a moment. "I am not a 'mistake', Mr. Black." She stated, a certain amount of force in her voice.

Katlin immediately picked up the ball when Orion failed to respond. "Of course you're not, Becca." She said with a pleasant smile. "Mr. Black didn't mean you specifically. Only that Heudros created you, but really didn't understand much about your.....kind. He only brought you to this realm to use you. He didn't know anything about you, or your needs, or how to help you adjust to being here."

"And now he's gone and done the exact same thing, once again using his substantially limited knowledge." Orion put in.

Becca immediately turned to the man before her. "But he didn't make Richard the same." She replied quickly.

"How so?"

Becca gave a smile that showed she was quite pleased with being able to again answer a question with complete certainty. "Richard has a host."

"A host?" Orion ask with a frown.

"Yes. Heudros."

If Becca thought the answer would please the wizard before her, she quickly discarded it as Orion slapped his hand over his face with a groan.

"But......but we need a host." Becca stated. "Heudros made me wrong. I don't have a host."

"You're not 'wrong', Becca." Katlin gently corrected her again. "Just because you don't have a host doesn't make you any less than this Richard."

"No. But it makes him stronger." Orion stated. "He has a firmer foothold in this realm because of Heudros."

"But Richard is not with Heudros anymore." Becca supplied. "Heudros left him."

Orion was shaking his head before the girl even started. "It doesn't matter, Becca." He replied. "A host is a host. Present or not. Bo isn't with his host, but he does just fine in this realm."

"But he is!" The fledgling 'Power' quickly broke in, pointing a finger at Orion. "He is always with you."

"I'm not Bo's host." Orion explained. "I'm his Channeler. I can tap into his power...his magic, but I don't have the same connection with him that a host does. And just like Bo, I'm willing to bet Richard doesn't have to be with his host to draw off of the benefit of having one."

"So now what do we do?" Katlin asked. "My bet is that this Richard is doing his best right now to find Becca. Which will possibly bring him here."

Orion turned to the boggart still standing behind the sofa. "Can you shield Becca from Richard finding her, Bo?"

The boggart gave a small nod.

"But the elder!" Becca spoke up suddenly. "We have to find the elder! Richard is also trying to find him."

"What elder?" Orion asked with a frown. "And why does this Richard want to find him?"

Becca paused for a very long time. "I'm not sure." She answered in her usual timid voice.

"Is that the answer to the first question, the second, or both?"

Becca paused again. "I do not know who the elder is." She replied. "But Richard wants to find him to steal his power. Just as he wants to steal mine. He said the elder is stupid and....and pathetic. That he has great power, but he doesn't use it because he is afraid of exposing himself."

From behind the sofa the boggart raised its head slightly, fixing his attention on the fledgling 'Power'.

"What is it, Bo?" Orion ask.

At first Bo seemed to ignore the question, but finally turned to his Channeler.

"What is it?" Orion ask again, but again only got silence in response.

Orion narrowed his stare at him. "Bo, do you know this 'elder' Becca is talking about?"

This time Orion got an almost instant answer as the boggart shook his head quickly.

Orion continued to study the boggart for several moments before turning back to Becca.

"I guess the question now is where do we go from here." He stated.

Katlin reached out and tucked an errant bit of hair back from Becca's face. "Well, we can't exactly toss her back out the door, can we?" She asked, giving the girl a small, reassuring smile. "Think if someone less 'scrupulous' were to find her?"

Orion didn't have to think twice on who Katlin meant by 'less scrupulous'. "Then what do we do with her?"

Katlin kept her attention focused on the girl sitting next to her. "I would think that depends mostly on Becca." She replied.

The girl's eyes widened. "On me?"

"Of course!" Katlin replied. "No matter how strange it's been up until now, Becca, this is, after all, your life. What would you like to do?"

Again Orion swore he could smell the smoke as the girl concentrated on the question. But finally she simply shook her head. "I don't know." She replied dismally. "I know so little about things here. I lived most of my time in the castle. I almost never left it. It was my world. And the few times I did leave it, Heudros or one of the thirteen went with me. 'To keep me safe', Heudros always said."

"More likely to keep an eye on you." Orion corrected.

"I just want to be able to......to be able to live here....and be comfortable with this place. Everything here is so strange and unfamiliar." She turned to the boggart still standing behind her. "Bo seems so at ease here. As though he has lived all his life here. I want to be like that."

"Bo has been in this realm for a very, very long time, Becca." Orion pointed out. "A large part of his 'ease' is simple experience at living here for so long."

The girl looked positively devastated by the answer. "So I have to live here a very, very long time before I can be comfortable here?"

Orion turned a helpless expression to his wife, not sure how to answer the girl.

Katlin simply offered him a small smile before turning back to Becca.

"I don't think it'll take a 'very, very long time', Becca." She replied. "But in the meantime, maybe we can help you adjust a bit better. How would that be?"

"Adjust?" She ask.

Katlin nodded. "Yes. If we could find someone who could help you learn how to survive better here and who could likely answer most of your questions. Would you like that?"

Orion was already frowning over the suggestion. "And who exactly might we know who can do all this for her?" He ask skeptically.

Katlin turned to him with a knowing smile. "If you're looking for advice," She offered, "why don't you take her to Talon?"

Orion looked aghast at the suggestion. "My father? Why?"

Katlin's smile never wavered. "My primary reason is standing behind the sofa."

Orion turned to the tower of dark robes that had been standing silently where Katlin indicated. As much as he hated to admit it, the idea had a considerable amount of merit. No one likely knew more about the 'Power's' than his father. But Orion disliked the idea of introducing Becca to more people than was absolutely necessary. To him, keeping her existence under wraps was the best solution for the moment until they had sorted out just how much danger this 'Richard' was.

But as she was, scared and unsure of herself, she was also likely more of a sitting duck than anything to any person who came across her and had enough sense to figure out exactly what she was.

Sighing to himself, Orion turned his attention back to the girl sitting on the sofa, staring up at him with great anticipation.

"All right then," He said finally, "let's go introduce you to someone new."

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

:**  
Bo is great. Would he be able to detect Richard?**

Actually, yes he would. 'Powers' in this realm, as long as one isn't shielding themselves, can sense each other.

Silverfox

:****

"Oh, and with Bo you're simply dealing with more experience. Remember, Bo has been in this realm a realy long time. He's had a lot longer to get used to living here."  
Yes, that's exactly why I was eying him so suspiciously.

If a power actually needs a host in this realm, how has Becca managed to stay/function for as long as she has? Can she still get a host now?

Oh. Sorry. PAR's a little slow on the uptake sometimes.

Well, that's sort of a sticky thing. 'Powers' do need hosts. Without one they are as non-corporeal in our realm as they are in their own. Their host sort of gives them a body to move about in in the physical world.

Now this is where it gets sticky. I practically need a lawyer here to help me out on this one.

Becca was given a body that essentially never existed before Heudros created it. Technically, it doesn't exist. The only reason she has it is because, using her magical ability, which is a great deal more powerful then your average wizard, Heudros made one for her, using Katlin as a template.

Heudros originally planned to use Katlin as Becca's host. But Voldemort sort of stuck his nose into things and stole her away from him. So Heudros did the next best thing and simply made her a body. So, looking at things from that point of view, Becca is her own host. Just not a very good one, because technically she doesn't exist.

Can she still get a host now? Absolutely. And that is, in fact, part of this story arc. The point being why she suddenly needs one and who gets the job.

MasterLupin

:****

I have enjoyed this chapter, but the lack of exploding action seems to put orion in a strange state.

One of the things I hoped to bring out in this chapter is the fact that, if there isn't much physical action going on around him, Orion isn't really sure what to do with a crisis. Of the two of them, oddly enough, Katlin is the calm, level headed one, where as Orion simply feels that if the problem can't be solved by blunt force, it's not really much of a problem to begin with.

All reviews are as of 8/9/2009.

And remember;

Poor PAR is going to have a rough week, folks. Hand surgery on the 11th and a Root Canal on the 12th. Expect delays.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: TALON BLACK

Becca sat nervously looking about the foyer of the house Mr. Black and his wife had brought her to.

They had apparated to the front of the house. Then, after being led into the small foyer area by a small house elf, Mr. Black and Katlin had followed the elf out of the foyer, leaving Becca seated on a small bench, with a brief promise to return shortly.

To her that had seemed hours ago.

Where was Mr. Black?  
Where was Katlin?

Oh, how she wished Katlin were still there. Katlin was so good at explaining things to her. So patient and understanding.

Before they had left Katlin had never seemed to leave her side, patiently listening to her concerns and answering her questions. And no matter how many she ask, Mr. Black's wife always seemed to listen as attentively to the hundredth one as she had the first.

Mr. Black seemed to get bored after the first five.

But Katlin had gone with Mr. Black and she was left alone in this room with nothing to do but wait.

Getting to her feet, she began to pace about the foyer. It seemed a good way to help her calm down a little. Just by giving her body something to do rather than sitting there waiting for Mr. Black to return.

But eventually even that tonic wore off and her nervousness returned.

Just as she was sure she was about to scream from the building tension, she heard voices approaching the open area.

One of them she immediately recognized as Mr. Black's. But the second voice she had never heard before and she did everything she could to try and simply vanish into the cushion as she tried very hard not to seem nervous or anxious.

"All right then, Becca," Orion said, coming back into the foyer, "let's make introductions then, shall we?"

Becca felt a small amount of relief sweep through her when she saw Katlin had returned with her husband and immediately turned her attention to the second man who had entered the room with them.

"Becca," Orion drew her attention back to him, "this is my father, Talon Black. Father, this is Becca."

The new occupant in the foyer walked straight over to her, all the while giving her a hard, appraising look.

Becca kept a carefully measured distance between them as the man looked her over, as she equally did a quick appraisal of him.

From her point of view, the man seemed a simply older version of Mr. Black, with the same dark hair and angular face that seemed set in a permanent scowl.

Becca waited for the man to say something, but he simply continued to look her over as though she were no more to him than an interesting object in the room.

True to her nature, Becca never allowed the man to get behind her, but turned with him so that he walked around her.

Finally Talon turned his attention back to his son.

"You said she has no host." He stated.

Orion nodded.

Without a word, the tower of dark robes materialized in the room.

Again Becca felt a wave of relief sweep along her nerves, but for a different reason this time. Whereas Katlin seemed an unending source of kindness and patience, Bo was a familiar face she could relate to on her own level. Someone who made her feel safe simply by being close by.

But rather than getting any sort of acknowledgement from him, the boggart seemed to focus all of his attention on the man next to him.

"What do you make of her?" Talon ask, turning to the tower of dark robes.

The boggart stood perfectly still, making none of his usual gestures. But Becca got the definite impression something was going on between the two as the man stood staring at the boggart with fixed attention. Finally he nodded and the man turned his attention back to his son.

"Leave her with me for a while. I'd like to question her about a few things. Get a better idea of where we stand."

Orion answered the man with no more than a nod.

But as Talon directed her out of the foyer, Becca's nerves got the better of her. She didn't much care for the stoic older man and she liked even less being left alone with him.

"Katlin?" She ask tentatively.

Katlin turned back to her and gave her a small smile. "It'll be fine, Becca." She reassured her. "You go with Talon. He's not going to hurt you. All he wants to do is ask you a few questions. That's all. And Bo will be there. So you won't be alone."

The news was a marginal relief for her, and she managed a small, but unhappy nod in return.

(-----------------------------------------)

Several hours later Talon Black walked into the room where his elder son sat reading in front of a glowing fire. Next to him his wife sat sipping on a cup of tea. Behind him a very sedate Becca followed, making a beeline for the side of the sofa closest to Katlin, where she quickly deposited herself, folding her hands tightly in her lap as she stared intently at the floor.

"Well?" Orion ask, studying the girl's demeanor with interest and wondering just how well the 'interview' had gone.

Talon gave a loud sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose before answering.

"I thought you said the girl was naive?"

Orion looked up. "You didn't think so?"

"I don't think 'naive' begins to cover her. 'Clueless' seems a bit more on the mark."

"She's not stupid." Orion interjected quickly in Becca's defense.

"I didn't say 'stupid'. And she's hardly that."

Katlin already had a arm around the girl's shoulders and was speaking quietly her.

"As long as she's been in this realm, she should really be much further along. Far more adapted. But she almost gives one the impression she was called.....a matter of days ago...instead of years."

"Becca's been a bit.........sequestered." Orion offered.

"She's been locked up." His father replied bluntly. "She told me about her 'master' and her time with him. The man was an idiot. The whole situation was the equivalent of giving a five year old child a stick of dynamite and a lighter and telling him to go have fun. He had no idea what he was dealing with. And what's worse, he apparently couldn't even control her. Since here she is, far outside the influence of the one who called her."

"That was more my doing than Becca's." Orion pointed out. "Heudros was simply abusing Becca's power. It was best we got her away from him."

"And I'm not saying that wasn't a necessary move." Talon agreed. "But you should have kept better control of her after that."

"There wasn't a lot of time." Orion defended. "At that moment I was more interested in saving the lives of several other people."

"Well, she can't just be left as she is, running about without anyone watching over her. She's far to naive about this realm yet for that. If someone even less scrupulous than this Heudros were to get a hold of her.........."

"Someone less scrupulous already has." Orion reminded his father.

"And thankfully she escaped." He conceded, folding his hands behind him. "So for now, I think we need to focus on the most pressing problem. What to do with this...girl."

Becca had sat silently through the conversation, carefully following it as it jumped back and forth between the two men. But in her opinion they had already lost sight of the most important matter at hand. "But we have to find the elder!" She suddenly blurted out.

Both men simultaneously turned to her.

"Becca," Orion answered her in as patient a tone as he could, "if this elder is as strong as you indicate Richard says he is, he can take care of himself for the moment."

"But we have to warn him about Richard!" Becca insisted. "And to do that, we have to find him!"

"And we will." Orion tried to reassure her. "But in the meantime, my girl, we have to make sure you're protected too. That you can protect yourself from this 'Richard'."

"Me?"

"Yes. Now, Becca, be honest.........how well can you do magic?"

The Fledgling 'Power' crossed her arms in front of her. "I destroyed the castle." She stated with great resolve.

"Yes, you did. And good for you. But how well can you, say, transfigure something? Or apparate. Or even cast a simple spell?"

Orion watched as the defiant light in the girl's eyes flickered and all but went out.

"Honestly, now, Becca." Orion repeated.

"I can do magic." She stated simply.

Talon gave a huff of impatience and took a cup off the coffee table and placed it on the mantel above the fireplace.

"Give me a saucer." He stated firmly to her.

Becca quickly reached over to the table and picked up the saucer that had been under the cup and handed it to the man.

Katlin hastily seized hold of her arm and pulled it down. She carefully took the saucer from her before Talon could respond in the way Katlin was sure he would to the display.

"No, no, dear." She corrected her gently. "Talon meant he wants you to transfigure the cup into a saucer." She explained, pointing to where the cup still sat.

Becca turned her attention to the saucer, for several moments just staring at it.

In her expression alone Orion could see the sheer force of concentration she was putting into the task. Something that was surely overkill for something so simple.

Finally the fledgling 'Power' raised her hand and pointed a finger at the cup.

Orion felt he had to give her credit when only half the mantel disappeared in a shower of sparks, smoke, and debris.

"I.....I'm sorry." Becca stammered, looking more shocked than anyone else in the room. "I....I didn't mean for that to happen."

"Unfortunately," Talon replied slowly, looking over the remains of his mantel before turning back to her, "I believe you."

"She's very good at that." Orion pointed out.

"But I can do magic." The girl stated in an almost pleading tone for her effort to be recognized for what it was.

The older wizard turned back to the still smoking remains of his mantel. "That is not magic." He stated bluntly, turning back to her. "That is an unfocused release of a magic force. But it is not magic by any means."

"But it is magic." Becca replied, her voice starting to shake.

"That is not magic!" Talon stated more forcibly. "That is a wild, uncontrolled, untrained, destructive force. But please do the rest of us the courtesy of never again referring to that as magic."

"She's trying her best, Talon." Katlin cut in, wrapping an arm about the girl's slumped shoulders. "She hasn't had the benefits that Bo has. She hasn't had anyone to show her how to live here or what she needs to do to better control her magic."

"Then she's more a danger to herself than anyone else." The older man replied, none of the hard edge leaving his voice. "If she's that inept with her magic, she would be better off being sent back where she was called from."

A joint cry of denial answered the proposal from both Katlin and Becca. One a blatant refusal and the other a plea.

"How can you even suggest such a thing?" Katlin stated fiercely.

"By knowing what we're facing here." Talon replied, not backing down in the face of his daughter-in-law's outrage. "She's a danger here. That....that 'child' could very well destroy this world if she put her mind to it."

Katlin turned to Becca with a solid stare. "Becca, do you want to destroy the world?"

The girl quickly shook her head.

"She doesn't have to 'want to'." Talon stated. "She could end up doing it by pure accident. Look at that mantel." He indicated the still smoking remains behind him. "That is but a very small fraction of what she is capable of."

"And she didn't ask to be here!" Katlin defended the girl firmly. "She deserves a chance at least."

"And that type of sentimentality tends to get people killed, Katlin. In these situations, sometimes one has to take a firm position."

"She came to us for help, Talon." Katlin replied in a calm, level tone. "I am not going to repay her act by....by 'dealing' with her." Katlin gave both men a look that warned them off before she turned her attention back to the girl huddled next to her. "OK, Becca," she said gently, "you can 'do' magic. But how well can you 'control' your magic?"

The fledgling 'Power' started to answer, but stopped and fell silent again.

Katlin reached over and carefully took the girl's hands in her's. "Becca, we want to help you. But in order for us to do that, you have to be honest with us."

The girl paused, then slowly turned to the floor. "I can do magic." She stated again, but in a much lower voice. "But sometimes......I can't stop it. It just.....seems to get out of control."

"And has anyone ever tried to teach you to control your magic?" Katlin asked.

"Richard.....Richard tried." She offered in a quiet voice.

Orion's father continued to study the girl, rubbing his beard as he listened to her. "What puzzles me," he said finally, "is how could she have come this far without being able to control her magic."

"I don't think she ever had to." Orion answered after thinking for a few moments. "Everything Becca did was basically done through Heudros' thirteen. Becca was little more than a battery for them. The only time Heudros let her do magic on her own was when he needed something done on a grand scale." Orion turned to the girl. "Am I right, Becca?" He asked her.

Becca stared up at him for a few seconds as she thought over the question. "I helped the thirteen carry out Heudros' wishes." She finally phrased her answer. "If Heudros needed them to take care of some problem, I was to supply them with the magic they needed to do his will. But I never went with them. I only went out with Heudros. I only served him directly."

Talon was still studying Becca carefully. "The girl's got power, there's no doubt about that." He stated. "The problem is she can't control it, and as such, can't use it to protect herself."

"So what do you suggest?" Orion asked.

"I've already gave my opinion on this matter." He replied. "The girl is a danger both to herself and everything in this realm. Sending her back to where she was called from is the only answer."

"That's not the only answer." Katlin spoke up firmly, cutting off Becca's cry of protest. "In fact, it isn't even an option from where I stand."

"Because you are allowing your sentiments to cloud your judgment." Talon replied in an equally stern voice.

"What she needs isn't to be dealt with like an unsavory problem simply made to vanish." Katlin replied, not backing down in the least. "She isn't a 'thing', Talon. She's a frightened, confused young girl. What she needs is our help. She needs training. Both in controlling her magic in this realm and in learning to protect herself."

Talon raised an eyebrow. "And you're going to give her this 'training'?" He asked.

Katlin shook her head. "I wouldn't even begin to try and qualify myself as Becca's teacher. But I can think of one person who could be."

Orion already felt he wasn't going to like the answer. "And that would be?"

Katlin turned to her husband with a somber expression. "Orin Bale."

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

:

****

So if powers can sense each other, if Richard can find this other power then so can Bo unless of course Richard is an idiot and Bo is the elder?

Welllllllllll......................, how to answer this?

Can the 'Powers' sense each other?

Sort of. It depends on a lot of factors. One, are they trying to shield themselves? Remember, Orion is currently having Bo shield Becca from Richard so he can't 'sense' her. Next, is the 'Power' strong enough to sense other? It takes a certain degree of magical ability, either inherent or work at, to be able to sense another 'Power'.

If Richard can find this other 'Power' then so can Bo.

That's actually a very interesting question/statement, Dear. Think about it. If the 'Powers' can sense each other, and Richard said there were others in this realm, then why hasn't Bo 'sensed' them, so-to-speak? Orion said that Becca was the first of Bo's own kind he had ever met. So has Bo actually never found any of his own kind, or has he just not ever bothered to look?

Is Richard an idiot?

Kind of depends on who you're asking, I guess. I mean, Richard doesn't see himself as an idiot. The elder might feel very differently on the matter.

Is Bo the elder?

By the end of this story you'll know who the elder is. But it would make the story sort of pointless to tell you now.

All reviews are as of 8/16/2009.

And remember;

Folks, take it from me. Do NOT ever have elective surgery one day and schedule a root canal the next. Just don't do it.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - TRADING TRUTHS - PART ONE

Getting Becca in to see Orin wasn't hard.

Getting her in to see him with a plausible story had kept Orion up most of the night. He knew the man was as astute as they came, and getting a lie past him was going to be like driving a tank through a metal detector and hoping no alarms would go off.

And he was more than a bit apprehensive about Katlin's plan of trying to get Becca into the agency as Orin Bale's new protégée. For starters, Orin was no fool. While it wasn't unusual for Orion, or any of the other agents, for that matter, to bring a particularly gifted wizard or witch to their superior's attention, Orion was all but dropping this one on his doorstep.

There was also the added problem of trying to keep Becca's true nature a secret. Orion again visualized the tank trying to make it's way silently through the metal detector.

The biggest problem was that Becca had no background to speak of. Although technically she was only about fifteen, Orion thought she looked more like a woman in her late twenties. And that left a lot of time unaccounted for in her life. But Katlin had worked up a story to cover most of it using her own as a prototype, which she insisted would work for them by playing on the sympathy vote.

Becca, Katlin had told Orion, was going to be a young witch who had the misfortune of being attacked by the Deatheaters. The attack was a random act not sanctioned by the dark lord. That, she had told him, would keep not having heard about the attack off Orin's radar.

Voldemort, Katlin continued on with the girl's story, recognizing her better than average magical power, had tried to assimilate the girl into the Deatheaters.

That, Katlin reasoned, would wet Orin's appetite to keep her on, if only to keep her out of Voldemort's hands. Katlin would vouch that she had seen the girl at the lair, felt sorry for the lost, frightened looking girl, and brought her to Orion, telling him the girl did seem to have certain potential and she didn't want to see her fall into the Dark Lord's hands. But she needed protection or Voldemort would simply find her and bring her back again. This afforded credibility to her needing to be taken into the agency quickly, bypassing hopefully a lot of the checks they would try to run on the story, and also possibly allow them to keep Becca with them when Orin would try to figure out where the young girl was to live. She already knew them, and Katlin had supposedly rescued her from the Deatheaters. They were the obvious choice.

Orion had actually been a bit surprised at how well Katlin's story fit together. Although it still had hole's in it, he had tried his best to fill them in. The biggest problem was the whole beginning. Orion was sure that saying the girl was the survivor of a Deatheater attack that the agency knew nothing about would raise red flags with Orin. But Katlin had successfully argued him down, coming up with the 'random attack' story line.

Katlin had added in an unfortunate case of amnesia due to the attack to cover Becca not being able to give any accounting of her life before the attack.

Orion hadn't been overly fond of that addition to the story, but conceded they needed something to cover her lack of history. Unfortunately it was likely to raise even more red flags with Orin. And also raise his personal curiosity as to where the girl had come from. Mysteries and Orin Bale were like a dog with a bone. And both Orion and Katlin felt fairly certain that under even the mildest interrogation, Becca would crack. And no matter how much time Orion spent with her trying to solidify her story, the feeling never quite went away.

After rehearsing the story himself over and over through the night, Orion finally felt he was ready to face his superior. He hoped that Orin would be more intrigued with the girl and her latent abilities, and that this would help nudge him in the direction of accepting the background they created for her on face value.

(--------------------------------)

On the day of the appointment Orion wasn't sure which of them was more nervous. Becca hadn't stopped fidgeting since they left the house, and now that they sat in his office she was worse than ever.

"Becca, can you sit still for just one minute, please?" Orion begged her. Her nerves were doing nothing for his focus.

"I can't help it." The fledgling 'Power' replied. "You haven't exactly told me that much about this Orin Bale."

Well, that wasn't hard to explain. Orion, even for having known Orin for the past several years and likely being as close to the man as Bale allowed anyone to get, was still mostly an enigma to him. Orion had never known anyone in his life that kept more to themselves than his reticent superior. Outside the office Orion knew almost nothing about his superior's private life. He knew Orin lived in a large, old house outside of London. That he had once been married to a woman named Melissa, that he had no children, and he still saw his ex-wife on occasion.

He also knew that the man had not gotten his position based on his winning personality, but more so that, in the wizarding community, there were very few wizards or witches who could match skills with the head of the Unspeakables.

That was likely a whole book full of information more than most of his fellow agents knew about their leader.

"Orin is a very nice man." He answered with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Now, just remember, all we here for today is for Orin to see if he feels you have any potential to be taught. He'll probably take you to one of the training rooms and run you through a few paces spell-wise. Just.....do what he asks, but keep it low key."

"Low key?" Becca repeated with an inquiring stare.

Orion nodded. "Yes, for instance, if he asks you to do anything that involves defense, try to do it in such a way that nothing dies, all right?"

Becca seemed to consider the request, then nodded quickly.

Any other words of advise were cut short as Orin Bale entered the office. "Meeting ran a bit late." He stated as he walked past them and seated himself in his chair. Orion had long since come to note that the man never apologized for anything. He simply stated facts and moved on.

"Now," he continued, slipping the folder he had brought with him into his desk before he turned to face them, "You, I take it, are Becca?"

Becca stared at the man with a doe-in-the-headlights sort of stare. She turned quickly to Orion and tapped his arm. "You didn't tell me he was........"

But Orion cut her off. "Just answer questions, Becca." He reminded her in a quiet tone. "We talked about this last night, remember?"

Becca paused, then nodded as she turned back to the man behind the desk. Orion and Katlin had spent several hours the previous night, in fact, trying to prepare the girl for this meeting. Becca righted herself in her chair again with a regal posture, folded her hands in her lap and met the stare of the man across the desk with one of her own. "Yes, that's right." She replied formally.

Orion wished he had arranged some cue with her to signal her to tone down the theatrics. But thankfully, he noted, Orin seemed to find the girl's obvious 'stage face' amusing.

"And Mr. Black seems to feel you have some potential to be with our department." Bale went on.

Becca only nodded this time.

Orin favored the woman with a small smile. Anyone else would likely have thought he was simply trying to put the girl more at ease. And Orion at first thought the smile was more just part of his superior's amusement at the girl's over-acted role. But slowly he began to get the nudging feeling there was something else behind the smile. Something he didn't quite like the feel of.

"Quiet little thing, aren't you?" The Unspeakable's leader commented.

"Becca's very nervous, Orin." Orion put in quickly.

"Nervous doesn't begin to describe her." Came the short reply as the man never took his eyes off the girl. But finally he let his gaze slide slowly over to his agent for a moment before getting up from his chair. "I suppose," he stated casually, "it's best to start at the beginning. Before I waste any time on interviews, I like to see if there's any potential with this girl. If you'd come with me, Becca, I'd like to see what your level is."

"Level?" Becca inquired as she turned to Orion for help.

"Orin wants to see what level of magic you're at, Becca." He offered. "He's going to take you to the training room now. We discussed this, remember?"

Becca paused, then slowly got to her feet with a small nod.

This had been just another part of Orion and Katlin trying to prepare the girl for the entire ordeal the night before. They ran through a simulation of everything that was likely to take place the next day, taking her through it step by step so she wouldn't be frightened by anything that happened. The 'assessment' was the part Orion had the hardest time explaining to her. He had told her that at some point, likely very early in the interview, Orin was going to want to see what she could do magically.

This had sent Becca into a tailspin where any self-confidence was concerned.

"But I can't do proper magic!" She had wailed. "He'll see that as plain as day."

But Orion had calmed her down by telling her that in this case, it was best she show Orin what she could really do.

"Have fun with it." Orion had tried to help ease her into the idea. "Blow a few things up."

Becca had met the suggestion with a skeptical look.

"Orin doesn't care if you can do 'proper' magic or not, Becca." Orion explained to her. "Katlin and I are presenting you as a young witch with a great deal of magical ability, albeit unfocused. It's your natural talent that Orin will be looking for. And because of the story we're giving him, Orin will be expecting to see you blow a few things up. So, give him what he's expecting. Just tone it down a little bit. Letting too much of your power out will make him suspicious. But even at half strength, you still be impressive enough to get his attention, and likely get your training."

It was the remembered promise of her eagerly sought after training that had brought Becca back in focus with what she needed to do. The girl had nodded, but still had a skeptical look on her face.

(-----------------------------)

Ninety of the longest minutes of Orion's life later, Orin came back into the office with Becca trailing close behind.

Well, everyone was still alive. That, to Orion, was a positive sign. Maybe he had worried for nothing after all.

While Becca made a beeline for the chair next to Orion, seating herself in it with bowed head and hands tightly clasped together in her lap, Bale seated himself behind his desk again and folded his arms on it. Turning his attention to the other man, he regarded Orion past a friendly smile.

Orion considered the whole scene, from the girl sitting next to him looking like she had just been caught smoking in the girl's lavatory, to the man sitting across from him giving him a smile that was, for Orin Bale, the equivalent of grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Nope. Something was definitely wrong.

"Well, you are bound and determined to keep my life interesting, aren't you?" Orin ask the man sitting across from him.

Orion tried to choose his words very carefully. "Well, I did tell you she was a little inexperienced, Orin."

"No, no." Bale replied, ticking a finger back and forth in front of Orion. "No, a student attending his first day of school in Charms class is 'a little inexperienced', Mr. Black. That word doesn't even begin to explain this girl. And quite frankly, I must say I am a bit disappointed in you. If you had been up front with me from the beginning, things might have gone a great deal easier for all involved here."

Orion said nothing, but gave the man a decided puzzled look in return.

Orin leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of him as he paused for several moments before speaking again. "There are things about myself, Orion," he said finally, "that I would have preferred to keep private. But now that you've brought this child to me, I really see no way for certain matters to remain as they have been."

Orion considered the whole statement about the strangest he had ever heard from his superior.

"Orin, I'm really not sure what you're talking about." He replied. "I brought Becca to you because I thought she had some potential. I told you..........."

"What you've told me," Orin cut him off quickly, "is what you wanted me to hear about this girl. Which apparently holds true for the last mission I sent you on as well. You told me only what you wanted me to hear. But maybe now you'd like to tell me the truth."

"The truth?" Orion ask in as vague sounding a tone as he could manage. "I'm not really sure what........"

"All right." He stated. "Fair is fair. We'll trade truths, all right?"

Orion studied the man across the desk from him with a genuinely puzzled look. "Orin, I'm sure I don't know what.........."

But Bale effectively cut him off by holding up his hand. In his palm a blinding white flash of light erupted, then faded down just enough for Orion to make out the shimmering white sphere that sat nestled in his palm.

Orion had thought that life and experience had brought him to a place where nothing could really surprise him anymore.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

****

Ok I can believe that Bo would not have bothered to look. I can't decide whether or not it would be a god idea to give Orin Bale that kind of fire power he does seem a little bit lacking in moral standards when he is prepared to take advantage of someone with amnesia.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Actually, you surprise with that. One would have thought Bo would have at least made some attempt to locate another of his own kind. But apparently his humans have kept him busy and entertained enough not to bother. And his lack of interest is explained in the next chapter.

Well, Orin Bale's moral codes not withstanding, I would have to say he is more taking advantage of a situation than the person involved in it. I know, I know....., semantics.

MasterLupin

****

Hmm... I would think that Orion would be most displeased with Katlin's suggesting that Orin would be a good solution to the problem.  
Orion not being able to focus on a problem that dose not require force to solve seems like a fatal weakness as an unspeakable. I would imagine that Voldermort would capitalize on that. Also I would think that it would lead to problems raising the 6 children.

Well, he's not so much displeased as is he cautious about it. He knows Orin Bale a lot better than Katlin does, and as this chapter pointed out, he saw a lot of potential trouble in trying to pass Becca off as a new protégée.

It's not so much a fatal flaw as one that lends itself as a perfect compliment to his wife's otherwise cool demeanor. Over and over again in this story the two opposing sides will show quite clearly in how each deals with the otherwise very volatile Becca.

All reviews are as of 08/23/2009.

And remember;

Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

::: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: My eternal gratitude to anyone who can tell me how to upload a story so quotation marks show up, or who can help me stop copy/paste from putting up duel sets of my story.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - TRADING TRUTHS - PART ONE

Getting Becca in to see Orin wasn't hard.

Getting her in to see him with a plausible story had kept Orion up most of the night. He knew the man was as astute as they came, and getting a lie past him was going to be like driving a tank through a metal detector and hoping no alarms would go off.

And he was more than a bit apprehensive about Katlin's plan of trying to get Becca into the agency as Orin Bale's new protégée. For starters, Orin was no fool. While it wasn't unusual for Orion, or any of the other agents, for that matter, to bring a particularly gifted wizard or witch to their superior's attention, Orion was all but dropping this one on his doorstep.

There was also the added problem of trying to keep Becca's true nature a secret. Orion again visualized the tank trying to make it's way silently through the metal detector.

The biggest problem was that Becca had no background to speak of. Although technically she was only about fifteen, Orion thought she looked more like a woman in her late twenties. And that left a lot of time unaccounted for in her life. But Katlin had worked up a story to cover most of it using her own as a prototype, which she insisted would work for them by playing on the sympathy vote.

Becca, Katlin had told Orion, was going to be a young witch who had the misfortune of being attacked by the Deatheaters. The attack was a random act not sanctioned by the dark lord. That, she had told him, would keep not having heard about the attack off Orin's radar.

Voldemort, Katlin continued on with the girl's story, recognizing her better than average magical power, had tried to assimilate the girl into the Deatheaters.

That, Katlin reasoned, would wet Orin's appetite to keep her on, if only to keep her out of Voldemort's hands. Katlin would vouch that she had seen the girl at the lair, felt sorry for the lost, frightened looking girl, and brought her to Orion, telling him the girl did seem to have certain potential and she didn't want to see her fall into the Dark Lord's hands. But she needed protection or Voldemort would simply find her and bring her back again. This afforded credibility to her needing to be taken into the agency quickly, bypassing hopefully a lot of the checks they would try to run on the story, and also possibly allow them to keep Becca with them when Orin would try to figure out where the young girl was to live. She already knew them, and Katlin had supposedly rescued her from the Deatheaters. They were the obvious choice.

Orion had actually been a bit surprised at how well Katlin's story fit together. Although it still had hole's in it, he had tried his best to fill them in. The biggest problem was the whole beginning. Orion was sure that saying the girl was the survivor of a Deatheater attack that the agency knew nothing about would raise red flags with Orin. But Katlin had successfully argued him down, coming up with the 'random attack' story line.

Katlin had added in an unfortunate case of amnesia due to the attack to cover Becca not being able to give any accounting of her life before the attack.

Orion hadn't been overly fond of that addition to the story, but conceded they needed something to cover her lack of history. Unfortunately it was likely to raise even more red flags with Orin. And also raise his personal curiosity as to where the girl had come from. Mysteries and Orin Bale were like a dog with a bone. And both Orion and Katlin felt fairly certain that under even the mildest interrogation, Becca would crack. And no matter how much time Orion spent with her trying to solidify her story, the feeling never quite went away.

After rehearsing the story himself over and over through the night, Orion finally felt he was ready to face his superior. He hoped that Orin would be more intrigued with the girl and her latent abilities, and that this would help nudge him in the direction of accepting the background they created for her on face value.

(--------------------------------)

On the day of the appointment Orion wasn't sure which of them was more nervous. Becca hadn't stopped fidgeting since they left the house, and now that they sat in his office she was worse than ever.

"Becca, can you sit still for just one minute, please?" Orion begged her. Her nerves were doing nothing for his focus.

"I can't help it." The fledgling 'Power' replied. "You haven't exactly told me that much about this Orin Bale."

Well, that wasn't hard to explain. Orion, even for having known Orin for the past several years and likely being as close to the man as Bale allowed anyone to get, was still mostly an enigma to him. Orion had never known anyone in his life that kept more to themselves than his reticent superior. Outside the office Orion knew almost nothing about his superior's private life. He knew Orin lived in a large, old house outside of London. That he had once been married to a woman named Melissa, that he had no children, and he still saw his ex-wife on occasion.

He also knew that the man had not gotten his position based on his winning personality, but more so that, in the wizarding community, there were very few wizards or witches who could match skills with the head of the Unspeakables.

That was likely a whole book full of information more than most of his fellow agents knew about their leader.

"Orin is a very nice man." He answered with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Now, just remember, all we here for today is for Orin to see if he feels you have any potential to be taught. He'll probably take you to one of the training rooms and run you through a few paces spell-wise. Just.....do what he asks, but keep it low key."

"Low key?" Becca repeated with an inquiring stare.

Orion nodded. "Yes, for instance, if he asks you to do anything that involves defense, try to do it in such a way that nothing dies, all right?"

Becca seemed to consider the request, then nodded quickly.

Any other words of advise were cut short as Orin Bale entered the office. "Meeting ran a bit late." He stated as he walked past them and seated himself in his chair. Orion had long since come to note that the man never apologized for anything. He simply stated facts and moved on.

"Now," he continued, slipping the folder he had brought with him into his desk before he turned to face them, "You, I take it, are Becca?"

Becca stared at the man with a doe-in-the-headlights sort of stare. She turned quickly to Orion and tapped his arm. "You didn't tell me he was........"

But Orion cut her off. "Just answer questions, Becca." He reminded her in a quiet tone. "We talked about this last night, remember?"

Becca paused, then nodded as she turned back to the man behind the desk. Orion and Katlin had spent several hours the previous night, in fact, trying to prepare the girl for this meeting. Becca righted herself in her chair again with a regal posture, folded her hands in her lap and met the stare of the man across the desk with one of her own. "Yes, that's right." She replied formally.

Orion wished he had arranged some cue with her to signal her to tone down the theatrics. But thankfully, he noted, Orin seemed to find the girl's obvious 'stage face' amusing.

"And Mr. Black seems to feel you have some potential to be with our department." Bale went on.

Becca only nodded this time.

Orin favored the woman with a small smile. Anyone else would likely have thought he was simply trying to put the girl more at ease. And Orion at first thought the smile was more just part of his superior's amusement at the girl's over-acted role. But slowly he began to get the nudging feeling there was something else behind the smile. Something he didn't quite like the feel of.

"Quiet little thing, aren't you?" The Unspeakable's leader commented.

"Becca's very nervous, Orin." Orion put in quickly.

"Nervous doesn't begin to describe her." Came the short reply as the man never took his eyes off the girl. But finally he let his gaze slide slowly over to his agent for a moment before getting up from his chair. "I suppose," he stated casually, "it's best to start at the beginning. Before I waste any time on interviews, I like to see if there's any potential with this girl. If you'd come with me, Becca, I'd like to see what your level is."

"Level?" Becca inquired as she turned to Orion for help.

"Orin wants to see what level of magic you're at, Becca." He offered. "He's going to take you to the training room now. We discussed this, remember?"

Becca paused, then slowly got to her feet with a small nod.

This had been just another part of Orion and Katlin trying to prepare the girl for the entire ordeal the night before. They ran through a simulation of everything that was likely to take place the next day, taking her through it step by step so she wouldn't be frightened by anything that happened. The 'assessment' was the part Orion had the hardest time explaining to her. He had told her that at some point, likely very early in the interview, Orin was going to want to see what she could do magically.

This had sent Becca into a tailspin where any self-confidence was concerned.

"But I can't do proper magic!" She had wailed. "He'll see that as plain as day."

But Orion had calmed her down by telling her that in this case, it was best she show Orin what she could really do.

"Have fun with it." Orion had tried to help ease her into the idea. "Blow a few things up."

Becca had met the suggestion with a skeptical look.

"Orin doesn't care if you can do 'proper' magic or not, Becca." Orion explained to her. "Katlin and I are presenting you as a young witch with a great deal of magical ability, albeit unfocused. It's your natural talent that Orin will be looking for. And because of the story we're giving him, Orin will be expecting to see you blow a few things up. So, give him what he's expecting. Just tone it down a little bit. Letting too much of your power out will make him suspicious. But even at half strength, you still be impressive enough to get his attention, and likely get your training."

It was the remembered promise of her eagerly sought after training that had brought Becca back in focus with what she needed to do. The girl had nodded, but still had a skeptical look on her face.

(-----------------------------)

Ninety of the longest minutes of Orion's life later, Orin came back into the office with Becca trailing close behind.

Well, everyone was still alive. That, to Orion, was a positive sign. Maybe he had worried for nothing after all.

While Becca made a beeline for the chair next to Orion, seating herself in it with bowed head and hands tightly clasped together in her lap, Bale seated himself behind his desk again and folded his arms on it. Turning his attention to the other man, he regarded Orion past a friendly smile.

Orion considered the whole scene, from the girl sitting next to him looking like she had just been caught smoking in the girl's lavatory, to the man sitting across from him giving him a smile that was, for Orin Bale, the equivalent of grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Nope. Something was definitely wrong.

"Well, you are bound and determined to keep my life interesting, aren't you?" Orin ask the man sitting across from him.

Orion tried to choose his words very carefully. "Well, I did tell you she was a little inexperienced, Orin."

"No, no." Bale replied, ticking a finger back and forth in front of Orion. "No, a student attending his first day of school in Charms class is 'a little inexperienced', Mr. Black. That word doesn't even begin to explain this girl. And quite frankly, I must say I am a bit disappointed in you. If you had been up front with me from the beginning, things might have gone a great deal easier for all involved here."

Orion said nothing, but gave the man a decided puzzled look in return.

Orin leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of him as he paused for several moments before speaking again. "There are things about myself, Orion," he said finally, "that I would have preferred to keep private. But now that you've brought this child to me, I really see no way for certain matters to remain as they have been."

Orion considered the whole statement about the strangest he had ever heard from his superior.

"Orin, I'm really not sure what you're talking about." He replied. "I brought Becca to you because I thought she had some potential. I told you..........."

"What you've told me," Orin cut him off quickly, "is what you wanted me to hear about this girl. Which apparently holds true for the last mission I sent you on as well. You told me only what you wanted me to hear. But maybe now you'd like to tell me the truth."

"The truth?" Orion ask in as vague sounding a tone as he could manage. "I'm not really sure what........"

"All right." He stated. "Fair is fair. We'll trade truths, all right?"

Orion studied the man across the desk from him with a genuinely puzzled look. "Orin, I'm sure I don't know what.........."

But Bale effectively cut him off by holding up his hand. In his palm a blinding white flash of light erupted, then faded down just enough for Orion to make out the shimmering white sphere that sat nestled in his palm.

Orion had thought that life and experience had brought him to a place where nothing could really surprise him anymore.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

****

Ok I can believe that Bo would not have bothered to look. I can't decide whether or not it would be a god idea to give Orin Bale that kind of fire power he does seem a little bit lacking in moral standards when he is prepared to take advantage of someone with amnesia.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Actually, you surprise with that. One would have thought Bo would have at least made some attempt to locate another of his own kind. But apparently his humans have kept him busy and entertained enough not to bother. And his lack of interest is explained in the next chapter.

Well, Orin Bale's moral codes not withstanding, I would have to say he is more taking advantage of a situation than the person involved in it. I know, I know....., semantics.

MasterLupin

:****

Hmm... I would think that Orion would be most displeased with Katlin's suggesting that Orin would be a good solution to the problem.  
Orion not being able to focus on a problem that dose not require force to solve seems like a fatal weakness as an unspeakable. I would imagine that Voldermort would capitalize on that. Also I would think that it would lead to problems raising the 6 children.

Well, he's not so much displeased as is he cautious about it. He knows Orin Bale a lot better than Katlin does, and as this chapter pointed out, he saw a lot of potential trouble in trying to pass Becca off as a new protégée.

It's not so much a fatal flaw as one that lends itself as a perfect compliment to his wife's otherwise cool demeanor. Over and over again in this story the two opposing sides will show quite clearly in how each deals with the otherwise very volatile Becca.

All reviews are as of 08/23/2009.

And remember;

Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

:


	27. Chapter 27

****

::: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: **A word of warning, folks. **PAR is going on vacation. So I will see you in October. And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: TRADING TRUTHS - PART TWO

Orion stared at the light as though transfixed by it. Having been with Bo for so long, Orion knew exactly what he was looking at, although he doubted very many other wizards or witches would have recognized the sphere for what it was.

Magic.

But not the kind that his contemporaries conjured up and worked with every day. But nor was it the magic that a Channeler, like himself, or even a host, like his father, used.

This was pure magic. The power all of his kind used, but in its rawest, most untouched state.

This was the type of raw magic that Bo drew on. That he could conjure up when called upon or that he did for simple amusement. Easily drawing it from within himself because it was, simply, apart of him. Part of what he was.

Orion's eyes slowly slid from the glowing sphere to the face of the man who held it.

Closing his hand over the sphere, the light dimmed and quickly vanished as Orin pulled it back into himself. "The truth this time?" He ask pleasantly.

"Becca," Orion stated in a slow, level voice, making sure she understood every word, "I want you to go home."

The woman turned to him abruptly. "Home?"

"Right now." He stated firmly. "You go home."

"But......my training."

Orion spared her a half second's glance. "Go! Home! Now!"

Becca paused for a second more, then quickly disappeared.

"There was no reason to send her away." Orin stated in the same pleasant voice, still holding the stare of the man across the desk from him. "I was looking forward to getting to know her better. We had a very nice talk before. But I haven't learned even by half what I would like to about her."

Orion sat simply staring at the man through narrowed eyes as though he hadn't heard one word he said.

"Who are you?" He ask finally in a low, level voice.

The man leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of himself. "Just who I've always been. Orin Bale. Head of the Unspeakables."

"You're not even human." Orion shot back.

Orin raised a finger. "Now, I have to take exception to that. This body is every bit as human as yours. I believe the old adage is, 'if you cut me, I bleed'."

Orion gave the man a ghost of a smile. "I'd like to test that theory."

The man behind the desk raised an eyebrow. "Why the hostility? What have I done to earn it?"

Orion answered the gesture by raising both of his. "You're not serious? You have sat here, day after day after day, and never said a word.....to anyone!"

"And what would you have had me say? Go up to the Minister of Magic, perhaps, and give him a small demonstration of what real magic can do? I happen to like my freedom, Mr. Black."

Orion gave a small laugh. "They couldn't contain you if they tried. They would have no idea what they were even up against."

"I have my weaknesses. Make no mistake about that. I simply work very hard to keep them hidden."

Orion tucked the information away, not sure if he would need it later or not. "Then what about Bo?"

"What about him?"

"One of Bo's biggest problems in this realm has always been that he's alone. He has none of his own kind around for company."

"You need to get a better grip on your boggart's emotions."

"I have a perfect grip on them. Bo would have been thrilled to have known another of his own kind was around."

Orin placed an elbow on the arm of his chair, leaning his head now against his hand. "Bo wouldn't have cared less." He stated flatly.

"What do you mean? When Bo met Becca he was as excited as I've ever seen him. And that's saying something for Bo. But after all those decades alone, he was finally meeting another of his own kind."

"And when the novelty wears off?"

"Novelty?" Orion ask.

"Yes, the 'novelty'. How do you think he'll react to her then? My guess,

personally, would be pretty much like he treats everyone else." Orin pulled himself up in the chair, leaning over the desk before him. "We are not social creatures, Mr. Black. How can we be? Our realm isn't corporeal. It isn't based on physical aspects or limitations. We meet, we talk, we move on. That is about as in-depth as one of our relationships get. I could go for decades never seeing another of my own kind and, in fact, be a happier man for it."

Orion's interest rose up. "There are more of you?"

Orin favored him with a small smile. "You honestly expect me to answer that? Then you haven't learned very much about me."

"I think I've learned enough about you for now."

"Really?"

"I've learned the person I thought I knew, who I thought was a friend, is little more than a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Orin frowned back at him. "That's a bit harsh."

"But fairly accurate from where I stand."

"Then maybe you should come stand over here." Orin replied, indicating the space next to his desk with a tilt of his head. "Because I don't see things that way at all. What exactly have I done to earn that distinction?"

"What have you done? Nothing! That's what! You sit here day after day after day, and you do........nothing!"

The man gave him a quizzical look. "What would you have me do exactly?"

"You can do anything."

"That's a very generous observation, but I'm afraid I have to qualify it. I am not without my limitations."

Orion gave a short laugh. "Your limitations, from what I've experienced, are pretty far reaching."

"Possibly. But I didn't create this world, Mr. Black, nor am I the god of it. I'm really very little more or less than you are."

Orion stared back at the man in disbelief. "I can't even begin to aspire to be what you are."

"Then you disappoint me." Orin replied with a small sigh. "And someone in your family certainly had more vision than you seem to, since they did, in fact, call and manage to bind one of us for their own use."

Orion sat for a moment thinking on the statement. "Bo is what you are." He stated finally.

The man shrugged. "For expediency's sake, I'll acquiesce to that."

"Then why isn't he like you?" Orion ask.

"Why aren't you like Misser, or Jacobs, or Aker, or Petterson? We're all different, Mr. Black. Even my kind have individuality. Past that I would say we also differ because a very long time ago, someone thought the solution to a 'problem' was to lock a poor, helpless creature away in another body without it's consent. I managed to avoid such a fate myself."

Orion stared back at the man, his expression shifting to one of unease. "Is Bo unhappy as he is?"

The man shrugged again. "How should I know? He's your boggart. Ask him."

"That's not very helpful."

Orin gave him a pleasant, bemused smile. "I don't recall offering to be." He replied just as the buzzer on his desk sounded. "What is it, Connie?"

"You're next appointment is here, Mr. Bale."

"Thank you, Connie. Give me a minute to finish up in here." Orin turned to the man across from him. "As you heard, my day is quite busy, Mr. Black. It's been a pleasure meeting your friend. I do hope you'll bring her back for a visit. I would look forward to getting to know her."

Orion stood up. "I thought you said you weren't social by nature."

"We're not. But I do like to keep an eye on potential upstarts." He answered, giving his agent another small, guarded smile. "And that one has an incredible amount of 'potential'."

Orion didn't prolong the meeting by asking what Bale meant. All he wanted at that moment was to get home.

"And Mr. Black." Orin added just before Orion reached for the door handle. "A word of advice." He added as he pulled a file onto his desk and opened it. "I like my life just the way it is. And I would hate to have some well-meaning person feel that they had the need to upset it." The man looked up from the file with a small smile. "Not a threat. Just some well-meaning advice."

Orion didn't bother acknowledging the comment as he opened the door and left the office.

Ten feet down the corridor, he apparated back to the house.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

:

****

Is Orin Bale a power or does he have access to one? It would explain why he is such a power house.  
Why would Katlin not want someone to fall into the hands of the Dark Lord? I don't understand her at all.  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

I think this chapter pretty well answered your first question.

Yes, Orin is a 'Power', and a very old and very powerful one, at that. And as he eluded to in this chapter, there are others out there. Looking for more? You don't have any further to go than Chapter Twenty-Nine (Wrapping Up Loose Ends) of In The Family Way.

And going back to that story also answers your next question. Katlin explained her actions in that story while trying to help the kids understand why she's still a Deatheater. And an Elite at that.

Currently (in the world according to PAR) there are two factions in the Deatheaters. Those who follow the old ways, and those who follow the 'new' ways.

The old ways are the things Voldemort use to preach about. Why magic users are superior to muggles and why they shouldn't inter-marry....that sort of stuff. Logical (in his mind), but not necessarily violent.

The 'new' ways are the things Voldemort came back teaching after his encounter with the Potter's. 'Muggles are bad and should be killed, right along side anyone who opposes me......and anyone I just think it would be general fun to kill.'

Katlin holds to the old ways. She was brought up believing in them since she was 15. But she's seen the changes in Voldemort and she doesn't like what she sees. The man she loved and followed so blindly would never, in her opinion, have ever gone after a small child. But Katlin also cares about her people. And she knows there are those in the Deatheaters who feel as she does. That things have gotten seriously out of hand. And so she stays for several reasons. One, to protect those who still hold to the old ways. People Johnathan Treaks, leader of those who believe violence solves everything, feels the Deatheaters are better without. She also stays to act as sort of a dampening rod to Voldemort's more explosive rages, where he would likely just as soon go out and see how many muggles he can kill in one night. She is the leash around Johnathan Treaks neck, keeping him from pushing things any further out of control, she acts as sort of a go-between for the Deatheaters and the Ministry and, on occasion, helps the Unspeakables stop pointless attacks.

Hence, trying to keep things even moderately under control, the last thing Katlin wants to see is Voldemort get his hands on someone as powerful, but otherwise thoroughly naive, as Becca.

Silverfox

:****

How did I manage to miss the Talon chapter! ... I don't feel like I've learned all that much about him from that, though. I'd very much like a closer look at Talon eventually.  
As for the current chapter: This is a very nasty cliffhanger. Can't wait to find out what Orin's been hiding.

Actually, should I ever get around to finishing it, you do a slightly closer look at Talon in the story Meeting The Parents, when Orion gets around to introducing his parents to his new bride. Although I will warn you, at this point, Talon is more of a background character. You learn some things about him, but most of it is through other characters discussing him.

Orin's been hiding a lot. And for a very long time.

All reviews are as of 08/30/2009.

And remember;

An Arab sheik returned home from a vacation to the United States. A fellow sheik asked him, "What impressed you the most about American's?"

"Their salesmen." He replied, strapping on his ski's.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: MAKING DECISIONS

Orion couldn't wait to get back to his house. His quiet, private sanctuary from the world outside where he could devote a great deal of time to what he was going to do next.

"Did you speak to him?" Came an excited voice in his ear as soon as he apparated into the foyer. "Did you explain things to him?"

Orion quickly turned to face the anxious looking girl. "Becca, could you at least give me a few seconds." He stated firmly.

But his tone did nothing to dissuade the fledgling 'Power'. "He was angry with me, wasn't he?" She asked, dismay written clearly in her expression as she clasp her hands in front of her. "I know he was. He was disappointed in me and he told you not to bring me back."

Orion was rapidly starting to realize, that like any good fifteen year old, Becca's world really was only all about her.

"Becca," Orion manage to reply in a calm, reassuring tone, "Orin wasn't disappointed with you."

The girl looked positively stunned. "He wasn't?" She stated. "Even after what happened in the training room?"

Looking up the stairs and wondering where Katlin was for a moment, Orion turned quickly back to her. If he was going to find out much if anything, that may be a very good place to start. "What did happen in the training room, Becca?" He ask. "And I want you to start from the beginning." He clarified. "When you and Orin left the room."

The girl thought for a moment. "Well, Mr. Bale was very kind to me. He took me to the room, conjured up two chairs, and we started to talk." The girl immediately went into her dismay mode again. "Oh! But that's where everything went wrong!" She stated.

"How so?"

"Mr. Bale kept asking me questions and I.....I tried my best to answer them, but I don't think he liked my answers very much. Because the more I tried, the more unhappy he seemed to get. But I tried, Mr. Black! I really tried."

"I'm sure you did, Becca." Orion offered her some reassurance again. "But what was it Orin was questioning you about?"

Becca paused again. "About my time with Heudros, mostly. He asked me some questions about before......."

"Before? Before you were with Heudros?" Orion asked with a puzzled frown. There was no 'before Heudros' for Becca. Heudros had called her. That was the start of her life in this realm. 'Before' was simply wherever she had come from.

Becca nodded, but then quickly shook her head. "But I don't remember much of that time. That was when Mr. Bale started to look unhappy. Then he started asking me questions about my time with Heudros, and he got more unhappy."

"Did he say 'why' he was unhappy, Becca?"

The girl paused. "I don't think he liked my answers."

"Why not?"

"Well, Mr. Bale kept asking me questions about Heudros. Did I like him? Was he kind to me? What sort of magic did he wanted me to do for him."

Orion instantly started to get a very good idea of why Orin had looked displeased with the girl's answers.

"And Orin didn't like your answers?"

Becca shook her head. "No. But I don't think that was what really upset him."

"What did?"

The girl looked positively crestfallen. "He asked me to do some magic for him." She said quietly. "That was when he started to look really upset with me."

Orion couldn't understand Becca's description of how the interview went and the man who walked back into the room 90 minutes later. Bale hadn't looked upset or disappointed. He had looked.............intrigued.

"I thought I heard voices." A crisp female voice broke into his thoughts. "Or more accurately at first, one voice." Orion's wife smiled at him as she entered the foyer. "But I heard you at least got in a few questions. That was more than I got."

Orion gave her a puzzled look.

"Well, ever since Becca came back to the house from her 'interview', she's been moaning almost non-stop about had poorly it went. I told her," Katlin added, giving a sympathetic but pointed look at the girl, "that we would have to wait until you got back before we could determine how well or how bad it went. After you had had a chance to talk to Mr. Bale in private. So," she went on, turning her attention back to him, "did you and Orin have a nice talk afterwards?"

Orion's look of puzzlement shifted to his wife as a deep frown replaced his own.

"We need to talk." He stated, taking her arm and guiding her towards the front room. A finger directed towards the fledgling 'Power' held her in her spot. "You go and find Bo and stay with him." Orion directed her in a firm voice. "You tell him I said 'Protect'."

Becca's crestfallen look had never left her face. Though she had added a distinct pout to it now. "But..........I wanted...."

"Becca," Orion stated, "Do as I have said....please. We'll talk more after I've spoken to Katlin. All right?"

The girl continued to pout, but finally disappeared after a few seconds.

"What was that all about?" Katlin asked as Orion directed her into the sitting room. "Didn't your talk with Orin go well?" She asked, taking a seat on the sofa as she stared up at him. "Didn't he like Becca? Was he disappointed in her?"

Orion gave a deep sigh as he joined his wife on the sofa. After a few seconds gathering his thoughts he began to tell her about the 'interview' from start to finish. By the end of it Katlin's eyes were round with disbelief.

"Orin!" She stated breathlessly. "He's.....he's......."

"Exactly like Becca." Orion finished for her. "Although he seems to have adapted quite well to living in this realm. Better even than Bo."

"But.......," Katlin tapped a slender finger to her bottom lip in thought as she stared at the quiet fireplace, "....but if Orin is a 'Power' as well," she asked, turning back to Orion, "Who's his host? He has to have one, doesn't he?"

"Becca has no host." Orion remind her. "And she seems to do fairly well in our realm without one. A little confused, but surviving."

Katlin gave a sigh of her own as she gave the matter some thought. "Well, this certainly adds a new dimension to things." She said finally.

Orion answered her with a simple nod.

"So what are you going to do now?"

Staring at the carpet, Orion shook his head this time. "I honestly don't know."

"Well then, what is it you 'want' to do?"

Orion sighed again, still staring down at the carpet in front of him. "The agency has been my whole life for nearly fifteen years, Katlin. It's who I am. What I am. Leaving....I never even thought of that."  
"Why would you need to leave?" Katlin asked in disbelief.

Orion turned to her. "You can't be serious?"

Katlin gave him a solid stare. "I mean it." She stated firmly. "Why should you have to leave a job you not only love, but that you're good at? Orion," she cut him off quickly as he opened his mouth to answer her, "think for a minute. What has really changed? Orin turned out to be a little more than he presented. He not exactly a wizard. But....what else has changed? He's still your boss. He's still your friend." She added in a softer tone.

"My friends rarely threaten me, Love." He answered.

"He's protecting himself." She answered calmly. "Try to see it from his point of view, Orion. He's kept this secret for....who knows how long? Carefully moving through the decades, hoping to keep up the facade well enough that no one ever knew the truth. And then suddenly, out of the blue, you walk into his office and present a threat he probably thought he was well past having to deal with for a long time. What would you have done?"

Orion thought for a few moments. "Probably not much different." He finally answered.

"He's probably just as worried and frightened as you are." Katlin added. "He has a job he loves. One he's good at. And one that protects him. And now he's facing the possibility of losing it all. All because of a random happening he never expected."

Orion paused for a long time before turning to her. "All right. You seem to be able to see the situation much clearer. What do you suggest I do?"

"You don't need me to tell you, Orion." She replied quietly.

Just then a white flash of light appeared before them. "Are you done?" the young girl standing before them stated in a tone that verged between irritation and panic. "I have been waiting in that cellar forever!"

"It's been thirty minutes." Orion corrected her stoically.

"All Bo wants to do is flap his arms at me!" She stated in exasperation, waving her arms about in mock demonstration.

"He's trying to talk to you." Orion explained. "You know Bo doesn't talk."

"Well, I don't understand him." She stated. "And it's not getting me anywhere being down there. Mr. Bale is angry at me and probably never wants to see me again. We have to do something!"

Orion calmed his exasperation with the fledgling 'Power' by reminding himself once again, that like any good fifteen year old girl, Becca's world, and all the problems in it, were all about her.

Staring up at her worried, exasperated expression, Orion truly did see only one answer to all his problems.

"And we are." Orion replied to her in a calm, firm voice. "We're going back to see Mr. Bale."

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

****

Hmm ex-wife and important to family ties and obviously the ex part wasn't Orins decision. I think that I will hedge my bets and say that she is either the same as Orin or she found out what he is and couldn't handel (sp?) it.

Well, not exactly.

First off, yes, the 'ex' part was not at all Orin's idea and he is, in fact, working like crazy to get his wife back.

Is Melissa the same as Orin? No. Melissa is a regular witch.

Does she know what her husband is? Yes.

Was that the reason for their divorce? No. That was a far more mundane reason. Someone's inability to leave work at work.

All reviews are as of 10/04/2009.

And remember;

The vacation was wonderful. Alaska was beautiful. Everyone should see it.

:: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: MAKING DECISIONS

Orion couldn't wait to get back to his house. His quiet, private sanctuary from the world outside where he could devote a great deal of time to what he was going to do next.

"Did you speak to him?" Came an excited voice in his ear as soon as he apparated into the foyer. "Did you explain things to him?"

Orion quickly turned to face the anxious looking girl. "Becca, could you at least give me a few seconds." He stated firmly.

But his tone did nothing to dissuade the fledgling 'Power'. "He was angry with me, wasn't he?" She asked, dismay written clearly in her expression as she clasp her hands in front of her. "I know he was. He was disappointed in me and he told you not to bring me back."

Orion was rapidly starting to realize, that like any good fifteen year old, Becca's world really was only all about her.

"Becca," Orion manage to reply in a calm, reassuring tone, "Orin wasn't disappointed with you."

The girl looked positively stunned. "He wasn't?" She stated. "Even after what happened in the training room?"

Looking up the stairs and wondering where Katlin was for a moment, Orion turned quickly back to her. If he was going to find out much if anything, that may be a very good place to start. "What did happen in the training room, Becca?" He ask. "And I want you to start from the beginning." He clarified. "When you and Orin left the room."

The girl thought for a moment. "Well, Mr. Bale was very kind to me. He took me to the room, conjured up two chairs, and we started to talk." The girl immediately went into her dismay mode again. "Oh! But that's where everything went wrong!" She stated.

"How so?"

"Mr. Bale kept asking me questions and I.....I tried my best to answer them, but I don't think he liked my answers very much. Because the more I tried, the more unhappy he seemed to get. But I tried, Mr. Black! I really tried."

"I'm sure you did, Becca." Orion offered her some reassurance again. "But what was it Orin was questioning you about?"

Becca paused again. "About my time with Heudros, mostly. He asked me some questions about before......."

"Before? Before you were with Heudros?" Orion asked with a puzzled frown. There was no 'before Heudros' for Becca. Heudros had called her. That was the start of her life in this realm. 'Before' was simply wherever she had come from.

Becca nodded, but then quickly shook her head. "But I don't remember much of that time. That was when Mr. Bale started to look unhappy. Then he started asking me questions about my time with Heudros, and he got more unhappy."

"Did he say 'why' he was unhappy, Becca?"

The girl paused. "I don't think he liked my answers."

"Why not?"

"Well, Mr. Bale kept asking me questions about Heudros. Did I like him? Was he kind to me? What sort of magic did he wanted me to do for him."

Orion instantly started to get a very good idea of why Orin had looked displeased with the girl's answers.

"And Orin didn't like your answers?"

Becca shook her head. "No. But I don't think that was what really upset him."

"What did?"

The girl looked positively crestfallen. "He asked me to do some magic for him." She said quietly. "That was when he started to look really upset with me."

Orion couldn't understand Becca's description of how the interview went and the man who walked back into the room 90 minutes later. Bale hadn't looked upset or disappointed. He had looked.............intrigued.

"I thought I heard voices." A crisp female voice broke into his thoughts. "Or more accurately at first, one voice." Orion's wife smiled at him as she entered the foyer. "But I heard you at least got in a few questions. That was more than I got."

Orion gave her a puzzled look.

"Well, ever since Becca came back to the house from her 'interview', she's been moaning almost non-stop about had poorly it went. I told her," Katlin added, giving a sympathetic but pointed look at the girl, "that we would have to wait until you got back before we could determine how well or how bad it went. After you had had a chance to talk to Mr. Bale in private. So," she went on, turning her attention back to him, "did you and Orin have a nice talk afterwards?"

Orion's look of puzzlement shifted to his wife as a deep frown replaced his own.

"We need to talk." He stated, taking her arm and guiding her towards the front room. A finger directed towards the fledgling 'Power' held her in her spot. "You go and find Bo and stay with him." Orion directed her in a firm voice. "You tell him I said 'Protect'."

Becca's crestfallen look had never left her face. Though she had added a distinct pout to it now. "But..........I wanted...."

"Becca," Orion stated, "Do as I have said....please. We'll talk more after I've spoken to Katlin. All right?"

The girl continued to pout, but finally disappeared after a few seconds.

"What was that all about?" Katlin asked as Orion directed her into the sitting room. "Didn't your talk with Orin go well?" She asked, taking a seat on the sofa as she stared up at him. "Didn't he like Becca? Was he disappointed in her?"

Orion gave a deep sigh as he joined his wife on the sofa. After a few seconds gathering his thoughts he began to tell her about the 'interview' from start to finish. By the end of it Katlin's eyes were round with disbelief.

"Orin!" She stated breathlessly. "He's.....he's......."

"Exactly like Becca." Orion finished for her. "Although he seems to have adapted quite well to living in this realm. Better even than Bo."

"But.......," Katlin tapped a slender finger to her bottom lip in thought as she stared at the quiet fireplace, "....but if Orin is a 'Power' as well," she asked, turning back to Orion, "Who's his host? He has to have one, doesn't he?"

"Becca has no host." Orion remind her. "And she seems to do fairly well in our realm without one. A little confused, but surviving."

Katlin gave a sigh of her own as she gave the matter some thought. "Well, this certainly adds a new dimension to things." She said finally.

Orion answered her with a simple nod.

"So what are you going to do now?"

Staring at the carpet, Orion shook his head this time. "I honestly don't know."

"Well then, what is it you 'want' to do?"

Orion sighed again, still staring down at the carpet in front of him. "The agency has been my whole life for nearly fifteen years, Katlin. It's who I am. What I am. Leaving....I never even thought of that."  
"Why would you need to leave?" Katlin asked in disbelief.

Orion turned to her. "You can't be serious?"

Katlin gave him a solid stare. "I mean it." She stated firmly. "Why should you have to leave a job you not only love, but that you're good at? Orion," she cut him off quickly as he opened his mouth to answer her, "think for a minute. What has really changed? Orin turned out to be a little more than he presented. He not exactly a wizard. But....what else has changed? He's still your boss. He's still your friend." She added in a softer tone.

"My friends rarely threaten me, Love." He answered.

"He's protecting himself." She answered calmly. "Try to see it from his point of view, Orion. He's kept this secret for....who knows how long? Carefully moving through the decades, hoping to keep up the facade well enough that no one ever knew the truth. And then suddenly, out of the blue, you walk into his office and present a threat he probably thought he was well past having to deal with for a long time. What would you have done?"

Orion thought for a few moments. "Probably not much different." He finally answered.

"He's probably just as worried and frightened as you are." Katlin added. "He has a job he loves. One he's good at. And one that protects him. And now he's facing the possibility of losing it all. All because of a random happening he never expected."

Orion paused for a long time before turning to her. "All right. You seem to be able to see the situation much clearer. What do you suggest I do?"

"You don't need me to tell you, Orion." She replied quietly.

Just then a white flash of light appeared before them. "Are you done?" the young girl standing before them stated in a tone that verged between irritation and panic. "I have been waiting in that cellar forever!"

"It's been thirty minutes." Orion corrected her stoically.

"All Bo wants to do is flap his arms at me!" She stated in exasperation, waving her arms about in mock demonstration.

"He's trying to talk to you." Orion explained. "You know Bo doesn't talk."

"Well, I don't understand him." She stated. "And it's not getting me anywhere being down there. Mr. Bale is angry at me and probably never wants to see me again. We have to do something!"

Orion calmed his exasperation with the fledgling 'Power' by reminding himself once again, that like any good fifteen year old girl, Becca's world, and all the problems in it, were all about her.

Staring up at her worried, exasperated expression, Orion truly did see only one answer to all his problems.

"And we are." Orion replied to her in a calm, firm voice. "We're going back to see Mr. Bale."

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

****

Hmm ex-wife and important to family ties and obviously the ex part wasn't Orins decision. I think that I will hedge my bets and say that she is either the same as Orin or she found out what he is and couldn't handel (sp?) it.

Well, not exactly.

First off, yes, the 'ex' part was not at all Orin's idea and he is, in fact, working like crazy to get his wife back.

Is Melissa the same as Orin? No. Melissa is a regular witch.

Does she know what her husband is? Yes.

Was that the reason for their divorce? No. That was a far more mundane reason. Someone's inability to leave work at work.

All reviews are as of 10/04/2009.

And remember;

The vacation was wonderful. Alaska was beautiful. Everyone should see it.

: 


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER 29: WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

Orion called in early the next morning to make sure Orin would be in and that he and Becca would be able to see him.

By plan or by sheer luck, Connie, Orin secretary, told him Mr. Bale had the day free and they could come as soon as they could arrange it.

A half hour later Orion was once more seated in his superior's office with Becca beside him.

Though the circumstances had changed, little else seemed to. Becca was no less nervous and Orin was no less formal.

Shuffling through a folder on his desk, Orin had hardly even glanced up at them since they had sat down.

"It was good of you to come early." He stated, slipping the papers back into the file folder after a brief glance through them. As soon as he closed the file, it immediately disappeared off his desk. "Becca and I didn't get a great deal of time to talk last time we met."

Orion studied the man behind the desk. "You were gone for nearly two hours."

Bale turned to him. "Most of that time, as I am sure Becca told you, was spent checking her magic level. How well was she able to control her magic in this realm."

"And that level would be where?" Orion ask.

Orin gave him a calculated look. "I'm not sure that is something Becca would want me to discuss with you, Mr. Black."

But the girl sitting next to him suddenly came to life. "I don't mind Mr. Black knowing that." She stated quickly. "He and his wife have been very kind to me."

Bale quickly turned his stare to the girl. "And sometimes people have their own reasons for being kind to us, Becca." He stated in a cool voice. "You'd do well to remember that."

The girl instantly fell back into silence.

"Becca wanted to come here because she needed someone to teach her." Orion pointed out. "Is this what you're going to 'teach' her? Mistrust?"

"I'll teach her what she needs to know to survive here, Mr. Black. And 'mistrust' can be a lesson well learned in this realm of yours, since most of your people seem to have mastered it so well themselves."

"As is it a lesson you seem so well qualified to teach." Orion fired back.

"Because I had some very good teachers." Bale responded, putting an extreme amount of emphasis on the last word.

Orion held his emotions tightly in check. "I don't want her to learn fear and hatred. She's already had enough of those subjects."

"You brought her to me to be taught, Mr. Black. I can't help if you don't like the lessons."

"She came of her own accord." Orion answered. "I didn't 'bring' her anywhere. I was only the door. Becca asked for help to control her magic, so I brought her here, thinking this was the best place for her to learn. At the time I had no idea what I was getting her into."

"What you were 'getting her into' was the best possible circumstances she could hope for. She at least has a teacher now who is eminently qualified to guide her."

A low, gruffled laugh suddenly echoed in the room.

Orion quickly glanced up, while Bale seemed to pay the interruption no attention at all.

Becca, however, also quickly snapped her head up and looked around. "What was that?!"

Bale seemed to give the question as much time and consideration as he would if Becca had asked him about the weather.

"No one of any real consequence." He answered, though Orion quickly noted the slight tension that crept into his voice. The man quickly dismissed the intrusion as he laid his folded hands over his desk. "The point, Mr. Black, is that Becca does need guidance. She needs to learn to control her magic, and she needs to learn how to handle herself in this realm."

"And you're going to teach her all of this." Orion stated.

"I will be her primary teacher, yes. But certainly not her only one. Becca is also a young girl. One who is growing up very fast. I certainly have very little experience teaching a young lady what she would need to know. Especially when she's growing up in a world not her own. Therefore, that task I think would best be left to someone far more qualified."

"And that would be?"

Bale waved the question off. "A friend. Someone I assure you is more than capable of the task."

"The same way someone else seems to believe that you are 'eminently' qualified to teach Becca?"

Bale raised his eyes to the man in front of him.

"If someone else is going to being teaching Becca, I'd like to meet them, as that I am, for the moment, her guardian. I'd also like to know what makes them so 'eminently qualified' to teach her."

Pausing as he stared at the man before him, Bale finally reached to the side of his desk and pressed a small button on it.

"Connie, would you come in here a moment?"

Without so much as a question, an instant later Bale's secretary appeared next to his desk.

Orion, even through all the years he had been at the agency, had had remarkably little contact with the woman. She was, as he would have described her, rather average in appearance, but in a classical sort of way. In her low, black pumps, she stood just a head shorter than her boss. Her long brown hair had a slight curl to it and she always dressed exactly as one would expect to see the personal assistant of a high ranking Ministry member. Her suits were always impeccably tailored and her makeup on the light side. She looked, as much as anyone would describe her, business-like.

For his part, Bale never once turned to look at the woman as she stood at his side.

While the implication wasn't lost on Orion, the significance of the choice was a complete mystery. "You're going to turn part of Becca's....'teaching'....over to your secretary?" He asked carefully.

Orin gave his agent a small smile. "Connie, tell Mr. Black your name." He stated, but then added quickly, "Your full name."

The woman stared down at him, something akin to disbelief skirted across her face before a look of puzzlement replaced it.

"May I ask why?" She questioned.

"Call it a show of trust."

The woman seemed to consider the answer for a few moments before she slowly turned her attention to Orion.

"My name," she stated slowly, seemingly wanting to make sure Orion caught every word without question, "is Colleen. To most here, I am simply 'Connie'. It's much less formal, I thought, than 'Colleen'. My 'full' name," she stated, giving the man next to her a dark look before continuing, "is Colleen Bale."

Orion's eyebrows shot up. "Bale?"

Orin drew his attention back. "My sister." He explained. "Or as much as she can be to me. Colleen came to me quite a few years ago. She had lost her host, she was alone, and needed help. At that time I had been in your realm for quite some time and felt I could offer her the haven she needed until she was more settled into her new situation."

The woman seemed less than interested in anything Orin had to say about her. Her attention, Orion noted, had now shifted solely to the young girl sitting next to her. But Orion quickly shot a look at his superior.

"Connie....is......."

"What I am, Mr. Black, yes. A bit younger. Less powerful perhaps......"

The woman's voice rang out in a musical peel of laughter. "Less powerful?" She stated as her laughter died down. "Oh, Orin, how you do love to polish that ego of yours."

The man turned only his eyes to the woman next to him, answering her with nothing more than a tolerant sigh. But Connie paid it little mind, as that her own attention had already shifted focus back to Becca.

"So," she practically purred at her, walking over to where Becca sat, "You're Becca? I've so been wanting to meet you."

Becca stared up at the woman, but didn't so much as move a muscle. She reacted, Orion thought, much like a small mouse being sniffed at by a cat.

Connie turned back to her brother over her shoulder. "My, you certainly understated the reticent part, Orin. This girl is practically non-existent." Turning back to Becca, she didn't wait for him to reply as she leaned down to the girl's level. "Don't you worry, Love." She stated in the same low purr, though this time with a blinding white, perfect smile accompanying it. "A few days with me will bring you out of that shell. This realm has a great deal to offer. Especially in the way of....physical comforts. And the first thing we'll do is go shopping. You need proper cloths."

Becca quickly looked down at the simple shift she was wearing. "What's wrong with my cloths?" she asked in a quiet voice.

The woman standing before Becca straightened up as her form suddenly gave off a small glow, then shimmered for a moment before it blurred out completely. When it reformed, standing in Connie's place was now a whole different woman. Still the same, but......different. Gone was the dowdy, secretarial look; the fitted coat and trim skirt with the black, low-heeled pumps.

Instead the woman now wore an elegant, sleek black dress with high-heeled shoes and her hair and makeup done to perfection as she struck a pose to suit the new look.

"There's nothing 'wrong' with it, girl." The statuesque beauty replied in a low, sultry voice, "if you prefer to stand in a corner and be a wall flower the rest of your life."

Orion quickly noticed that for the first time since she came into the room, Bale looked up at the woman.

"Why don't you ever dress like that for work?" Was his sole question to her.

The woman turned and looked down at him with what to Orion was a cross between pity and amusement. The form quickly flickered, then blurred again. A second later Connie once again appeared as she had when she first came into the room.

"Because if I did, dear brother," she replied in the same sultry voice, "I'd never get any work done." A frown creased her brow. "Truly, some of your agents are nothing more than animals, Orin. They're bad enough when I dress like this." She added, indicating her usual attire.

A frown quickly creased the man's brow. "Which agents of mine?"

Connie gave him an affectionate smile as she walked back over to him and gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Oh, you are being a love now." She purred once again. As she turned back to Becca, she gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry. You'll get used to him." She told the young girl. "Maybe even learn to like him. He can be a frightful bear sometimes." She added, giving her head a small shake. "Acting like he has a thorn in his paw. But most of the time he's like this. Even suggest someone's done you a bad turn and he gets all protective. He really is a love."

Becca turned a skeptical look towards the man behind the desk. One that wasn't lost on Connie at all.

"Oh, my." She gave a small, exaggerated gasp as she straightened back up. "What have you done to this poor child, Orin? She looks at you like she's in school and you're about to pass out grade cards."

Bale leaned back in his chair, studying the girl before him. "I have no idea." He replied. "Becca, have I done something to upset you?"

Orion watched the reticent girl next to him for a few moments, then turned to his superior. "Becca isn't upset with you." He explained. "It's actually quite the opposite. Becca feels that you might be upset with her."

Bale's expression shifted to one of puzzlement. "Upset?" He asked, quickly shifting his attention back to the girl sitting before him. "Why should I be upset with you, Becca?"

The girl at first said nothing, leaving Orion feeling that he was going to have to supply all the answers during the meeting. But just as he was about to reply for her, Becca turned her gaze slowly from her fidgeting hands to the man behind the desk. She replied quietly before dropping her gaze again, "I didn't answer your questions very well. And I didn't perform my magic at all right."

Bale quickly leaned forward on his desk, folding his hands before him once again. "Becca, I'm sure you did the best you could with your magic." He replied in what to Orion was likely the most reassuring and encouraging voice that could be mustered from a man not used to having to deal with either. "And I certainly wasn't upset by the answers you gave, but more by the circumstances you described yourself in."

Becca looked back up at him.

"You haven't had the easiest of times in this realm, Becca." Bale answered her questioning stare. "You were treated poorly, you were given no explanation of your circumstances, and you have had no training whatsoever. For how far you have come, I would say you have, in fact, done remarkably well."

Clearly the pep talk did very little to raise Becca's spirits as she continued to stare at her hands.

Bale gave a quiet sigh, pausing as Orion wondered if he was reconsidering his decision. But finally he set his gaze back on the girl before him. "Becca, I think you are a very bright, very intelligent, gifted child. But a 'child' you are. You need training and you need guidance on how to live in this realm. In short, my girl, you need help. Now, Connie and I are more than willing to give you whatever assistance you need. But you have to work with us, and more importantly, you have to want it."

Becca quickly pulled up in her chair, gripping the handles on either side. "But I do want help!" She stated bluntly. "And I will work. I'll work very hard."

Bale leaned back in his chair with a slight smile. "I'm sure you will, Becca. So, with that decided" he added, turning briefly to the other 'Power' standing next to him, "if you'll go with Connie, she'll let you know when you need to come ba............."

"Just a minute." Orion spoke up. "This is, I believe, far from decided."

Three pairs of eyes suddenly shifted to him. One pair wide in amazement, one pair that regarded him as they had since she appeared in the office, with a quiet sort of amusement, and the third pair slightly narrowed.

"And your problem with the arrangement, Mr. Black, would be.....?" Bale asked.

Orion met the man's stare. "For starters, someone obviously didn't think very highly of your taking on Becca's mentoring."

Bale steepled his hands in front of him. "And I told you, that person is of very little concern in this matter."

"Just the same," Orion replied, "I'd like to hear their reasons."

"No you wouldn't." Came the blunted answer.

Orion continued to hold the man's stare. "Without knowing all the facts, Becca will not be having her training here." He stated in a firm, finalizing tone.

One that Bale met with a small smile. "Really? And who else, in your opinion, is qualified to teach her? You?"

"If I have to." Orion defended.

Again the low laughter rumbled through the room. "This is getting better and better." The disembodied voice commented.

"Oh, shut up." Bale hissed at it. "You're the reason for this problem in the first place. This matter would be settled had you kept your opinions to yourself."

Orion kept his eyes fixed on the man in front of him without saying anything more.

Bale leaned back in his chair again with a deep sigh. At the exact same time, a streak of dark light, much like a single, clear bolt of lightening, struck the ground on the opposite side of Bale's desk from where Connie was standing. Neither of the 'Powers' paid the display much mind. Connie seemed to regard it as normal while Bale treated it as more common place in his life. The emphasis being on the word 'common'.

"Mr. Black," he stated in a tone that bordered on something between tedium and all out irritation, "may I introduce my brother."

Rather than slowly clearing with the currents of air in the room, as one would expect it to, the smoke from the aftermath of the light hitting the ground instead began to swirl about in a circular pattern, consolidating until it finally formed itself into a solid shape with an appearance Orion knew all too well.

"Eric Matterson." He stated in what came out as more of a tone of disbelief.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

****

Back in family relations Orin bale came up against Beccas magic (the funny tunnel thing) and lost could this be why he is so unhappy now? Is Eric a power as well?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Actually, as he stated in this chapter, Orin isn't unhappy with Becca so much as her circumstances.

Also, Orin knows a little more about her than he's telling right now. But what he knows will come out later in the story.

What gave Orin serious pause in the last story, when he came up against the tunnel, was that he was starting to get a very good idea what Orion and the others had just walked into, but he had no way to help them without tipping his own hand. The moment he couldn't disrupt the tunnel's magic, he knew they were up against magic that was closely related to his own, but had no way to prove his suspicions. Then his agent comes back from the mission and doesn't say a word about coming up against anything unusual. So Bale decided to let things go for the time being and see what developed.

Well called, Dear. Yes, Eric Matterson is another 'Power'. He is also Bale's brother.

Silverfox

****

LOL at Becca he 15 year old being babysat by Bo the 3 year old. ;)  
And now it's right back to Orin. What a hectic day!

You know, it's very strange that I never looked at it that way. But you're right. Basically you had a three year old babysitting a fifteen year old.

All reviews are as of 11/8/2009.

And remember;

This week is Veterans Day in the US. Take a moment to remember those who served our country.

::Becca only shook her head quickly.

PART ONE

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER 29: WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

PART ONE

Orion called in early the next morning to make sure Orin would be in and that he and Becca would be able to see him.

By plan or by sheer luck, Connie, Orin secretary, told him Mr. Bale had the day free and they could come as soon as they could arrange it.

A half hour later Orion was once more seated in his superior's office with Becca beside him.

Though the circumstances had changed, little else seemed to. Becca was no less nervous and Orin was no less formal.

Shuffling through a folder on his desk, Orin had hardly even glanced up at them since they had sat down.

"It was good of you to come early." He stated, slipping the papers back into the file folder after a brief glance through them. As soon as he closed the file, it immediately disappeared off his desk. "Becca and I didn't get a great deal of time to talk last time we met."

Orion studied the man behind the desk. "You were gone for nearly two hours."

Bale turned to him. "Most of that time, as I am sure Becca told you, was spent checking her magic level. How well was she able to control her magic in this realm."

"And that level would be where?" Orion ask.

Orin gave him a calculated look. "I'm not sure that is something Becca would want me to discuss with you, Mr. Black."

But the girl sitting next to him suddenly came to life. "I don't mind Mr. Black knowing that." She stated quickly. "He and his wife have been very kind to me."

Bale quickly turned his stare to the girl. "And sometimes people have their own reasons for being kind to us, Becca." He stated in a cool voice. "You'd do well to remember that."

The girl instantly fell back into silence.

"Becca wanted to come here because she needed someone to teach her." Orion pointed out. "Is this what you're going to 'teach' her? Mistrust?"

"I'll teach her what she needs to know to survive here, Mr. Black. And 'mistrust' can be a lesson well learned in this realm of yours, since most of your people seem to have mastered it so well themselves."

"As is it a lesson you seem so well qualified to teach." Orion fired back.

"Because I had some very good teachers." Bale responded, putting an extreme amount of emphasis on the last word.

Orion held his emotions tightly in check. "I don't want her to learn fear and hatred. She's already had enough of those subjects."

"You brought her to me to be taught, Mr. Black. I can't help if you don't like the lessons."

"She came of her own accord." Orion answered. "I didn't 'bring' her anywhere. I was only the door. Becca asked for help to control her magic, so I brought her here, thinking this was the best place for her to learn. At the time I had no idea what I was getting her into."

"What you were 'getting her into' was the best possible circumstances she could hope for. She at least has a teacher now who is eminently qualified to guide her."

A low, gruffled laugh suddenly echoed in the room.

Orion quickly glanced up, while Bale seemed to pay the interruption no attention at all.

Becca, however, also quickly snapped her head up and looked around. "What was that?!"

Bale seemed to give the question as much time and consideration as he would if Becca had asked him about the weather.

"No one of any real consequence." He answered, though Orion quickly noted the slight tension that crept into his voice. The man quickly dismissed the intrusion as he laid his folded hands over his desk. "The point, Mr. Black, is that Becca does need guidance. She needs to learn to control her magic, and she needs to learn how to handle herself in this realm."

"And you're going to teach her all of this." Orion stated.

"I will be her primary teacher, yes. But certainly not her only one. Becca is also a young girl. One who is growing up very fast. I certainly have very little experience teaching a young lady what she would need to know. Especially when she's growing up in a world not her own. Therefore, that task I think would best be left to someone far more qualified."

"And that would be?"

Bale waved the question off. "A friend. Someone I assure you is more than capable of the task."

"The same way someone else seems to believe that you are 'eminently' qualified to teach Becca?"

Bale raised his eyes to the man in front of him.

"If someone else is going to being teaching Becca, I'd like to meet them, as that I am, for the moment, her guardian. I'd also like to know what makes them so 'eminently qualified' to teach her."

Pausing as he stared at the man before him, Bale finally reached to the side of his desk and pressed a small button on it.

"Connie, would you come in here a moment?"

Without so much as a question, an instant later Bale's secretary appeared next to his desk.

Orion, even through all the years he had been at the agency, had had remarkably little contact with the woman. She was, as he would have described her, rather average in appearance, but in a classical sort of way. In her low, black pumps, she stood just a head shorter than her boss. Her long brown hair had a slight curl to it and she always dressed exactly as one would expect to see the personal assistant of a high ranking Ministry member. Her suits were always impeccably tailored and her makeup on the light side. She looked, as much as anyone would describe her, business-like.

For his part, Bale never once turned to look at the woman as she stood at his side.

While the implication wasn't lost on Orion, the significance of the choice was a complete mystery. "You're going to turn part of Becca's....'teaching'....over to your secretary?" He asked carefully.

Orin gave his agent a small smile. "Connie, tell Mr. Black your name." He stated, but then added quickly, "Your full name."

The woman stared down at him, something akin to disbelief skirted across her face before a look of puzzlement replaced it.

"May I ask why?" She questioned.

"Call it a show of trust."

The woman seemed to consider the answer for a few moments before she slowly turned her attention to Orion.

"My name," she stated slowly, seemingly wanting to make sure Orion caught every word without question, "is Colleen. To most here, I am simply 'Connie'. It's much less formal, I thought, than 'Colleen'. My 'full' name," she stated, giving the man next to her a dark look before continuing, "is Colleen Bale."

Orion's eyebrows shot up. "Bale?"

Orin drew his attention back. "My sister." He explained. "Or as much as she can be to me. Colleen came to me quite a few years ago. She had lost her host, she was alone, and needed help. At that time I had been in your realm for quite some time and felt I could offer her the haven she needed until she was more settled into her new situation."

The woman seemed less than interested in anything Orin had to say about her. Her attention, Orion noted, had now shifted solely to the young girl sitting next to her. But Orion quickly shot a look at his superior.

"Connie....is......."

"What I am, Mr. Black, yes. A bit younger. Less powerful perhaps......"

The woman's voice rang out in a musical peel of laughter. "Less powerful?" She stated as her laughter died down. "Oh, Orin, how you do love to polish that ego of yours."

The man turned only his eyes to the woman next to him, answering her with nothing more than a tolerant sigh. But Connie paid it little mind, as that her own attention had already shifted focus back to Becca.

"So," she practically purred at her, walking over to where Becca sat, "You're Becca? I've so been wanting to meet you."

Becca stared up at the woman, but didn't so much as move a muscle. She reacted, Orion thought, much like a small mouse being sniffed at by a cat.

Connie turned back to her brother over her shoulder. "My, you certainly understated the reticent part, Orin. This girl is practically non-existent." Turning back to Becca, she didn't wait for him to reply as she leaned down to the girl's level. "Don't you worry, Love." She stated in the same low purr, though this time with a blinding white, perfect smile accompanying it. "A few days with me will bring you out of that shell. This realm has a great deal to offer. Especially in the way of....physical comforts. And the first thing we'll do is go shopping. You need proper cloths."

Becca quickly looked down at the simple shift she was wearing. "What's wrong with my cloths?" she asked in a quiet voice.

The woman standing before Becca straightened up as her form suddenly gave off a small glow, then shimmered for a moment before it blurred out completely. When it reformed, standing in Connie's place was now a whole different woman. Still the same, but......different. Gone was the dowdy, secretarial look; the fitted coat and trim skirt with the black, low-heeled pumps.

Instead the woman now wore an elegant, sleek black dress with high-heeled shoes and her hair and makeup done to perfection as she struck a pose to suit the new look.

"There's nothing 'wrong' with it, girl." The statuesque beauty replied in a low, sultry voice, "if you prefer to stand in a corner and be a wall flower the rest of your life."

Orion quickly noticed that for the first time since she came into the room, Bale looked up at the woman.

"Why don't you ever dress like that for work?" Was his sole question to her.

The woman turned and looked down at him with what to Orion was a cross between pity and amusement. The form quickly flickered, then blurred again. A second later Connie once again appeared as she had when she first came into the room.

"Because if I did, dear brother," she replied in the same sultry voice, "I'd never get any work done." A frown creased her brow. "Truly, some of your agents are nothing more than animals, Orin. They're bad enough when I dress like this." She added, indicating her usual attire.

A frown quickly creased the man's brow. "Which agents of mine?"

Connie gave him an affectionate smile as she walked back over to him and gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Oh, you are being a love now." She purred once again. As she turned back to Becca, she gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry. You'll get used to him." She told the young girl. "Maybe even learn to like him. He can be a frightful bear sometimes." She added, giving her head a small shake. "Acting like he has a thorn in his paw. But most of the time he's like this. Even suggest someone's done you a bad turn and he gets all protective. He really is a love."

Becca turned a skeptical look towards the man behind the desk. One that wasn't lost on Connie at all.

"Oh, my." She gave a small, exaggerated gasp as she straightened back up. "What have you done to this poor child, Orin? She looks at you like she's in school and you're about to pass out grade cards."

Bale leaned back in his chair, studying the girl before him. "I have no idea." He replied. "Becca, have I done something to upset you?"

Becca only shook her head quickly.

Orion watched the reticent girl next to him for a few moments, then turned to his superior. "Becca isn't upset with you." He explained. "It's actually quite the opposite. Becca feels that you might be upset with her."

Bale's expression shifted to one of puzzlement. "Upset?" He asked, quickly shifting his attention back to the girl sitting before him. "Why should I be upset with you, Becca?"

The girl at first said nothing, leaving Orion feeling that he was going to have to supply all the answers during the meeting. But just as he was about to reply for her, Becca turned her gaze slowly from her fidgeting hands to the man behind the desk. She replied quietly before dropping her gaze again, "I didn't answer your questions very well. And I didn't perform my magic at all right."

Bale quickly leaned forward on his desk, folding his hands before him once again. "Becca, I'm sure you did the best you could with your magic." He replied in what to Orion was likely the most reassuring and encouraging voice that could be mustered from a man not used to having to deal with either. "And I certainly wasn't upset by the answers you gave, but more by the circumstances you described yourself in."

Becca looked back up at him.

"You haven't had the easiest of times in this realm, Becca." Bale answered her questioning stare. "You were treated poorly, you were given no explanation of your circumstances, and you have had no training whatsoever. For how far you have come, I would say you have, in fact, done remarkably well."

Clearly the pep talk did very little to raise Becca's spirits as she continued to stare at her hands.

Bale gave a quiet sigh, pausing as Orion wondered if he was reconsidering his decision. But finally he set his gaze back on the girl before him. "Becca, I think you are a very bright, very intelligent, gifted child. But a 'child' you are. You need training and you need guidance on how to live in this realm. In short, my girl, you need help. Now, Connie and I are more than willing to give you whatever assistance you need. But you have to work with us, and more importantly, you have to want it."

Becca quickly pulled up in her chair, gripping the handles on either side. "But I do want help!" She stated bluntly. "And I will work. I'll work very hard."

Bale leaned back in his chair with a slight smile. "I'm sure you will, Becca. So, with that decided" he added, turning briefly to the other 'Power' standing next to him, "if you'll go with Connie, she'll let you know when you need to come ba............."

"Just a minute." Orion spoke up. "This is, I believe, far from decided."

Three pairs of eyes suddenly shifted to him. One pair wide in amazement, one pair that regarded him as they had since she appeared in the office, with a quiet sort of amusement, and the third pair slightly narrowed.

"And your problem with the arrangement, Mr. Black, would be.....?" Bale asked.

Orion met the man's stare. "For starters, someone obviously didn't think very highly of your taking on Becca's mentoring."

Bale steepled his hands in front of him. "And I told you, that person is of very little concern in this matter."

"Just the same," Orion replied, "I'd like to hear their reasons."

"No you wouldn't." Came the blunted answer.

Orion continued to hold the man's stare. "Without knowing all the facts, Becca will not be having her training here." He stated in a firm, finalizing tone.

One that Bale met with a small smile. "Really? And who else, in your opinion, is qualified to teach her? You?"

"If I have to." Orion defended.

Again the low laughter rumbled through the room. "This is getting better and better." The disembodied voice commented.

"Oh, shut up." Bale hissed at it. "You're the reason for this problem in the first place. This matter would be settled had you kept your opinions to yourself."

Orion kept his eyes fixed on the man in front of him without saying anything more.

Bale leaned back in his chair again with a deep sigh. At the exact same time, a streak of dark light, much like a single, clear bolt of lightening, struck the ground on the opposite side of Bale's desk from where Connie was standing. Neither of the 'Powers' paid the display much mind. Connie seemed to regard it as normal while Bale treated it as more common place in his life. The emphasis being on the word 'common'.

"Mr. Black," he stated in a tone that bordered on something between tedium and all out irritation, "may I introduce my brother."

Rather than slowly clearing with the currents of air in the room, as one would expect it to, the smoke from the aftermath of the light hitting the ground instead began to swirl about in a circular pattern, consolidating until it finally formed itself into a solid shape with an appearance Orion knew all too well.

"Eric Matterson." He stated in what came out as more of a tone of disbelief.

****

Q&A

ilovesiriusblack

****

Back in family relations Orin bale came up against Beccas magic (the funny tunnel thing) and lost could this be why he is so unhappy now? Is Eric a power as well?  
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Actually, as he stated in this chapter, Orin isn't unhappy with Becca so much as her circumstances.

Also, Orin knows a little more about her than he's telling right now. But what he knows will come out later in the story.

What gave Orin serious pause in the last story, when he came up against the tunnel, was that he was starting to get a very good idea what Orion and the others had just walked into, but he had no way to help them without tipping his own hand. The moment he couldn't disrupt the tunnel's magic, he knew they were up against magic that was closely related to his own, but had no way to prove his suspicions. Then his agent comes back from the mission and doesn't say a word about coming up against anything unusual. So Bale decided to let things go for the time being and see what developed.

Well called, Dear. Yes, Eric Matterson is another 'Power'. He is also Bale's brother.

Silverfox

:****

LOL at Becca he 15 year old being babysat by Bo the 3 year old. ;)  
And now it's right back to Orin. What a hectic day!

You know, it's very strange that I never looked at it that way. But you're right. Basically you had a three year old babysitting a fifteen year old.

All reviews are as of 11/8/2009.

And remember;

This week is Veterans Day in the US. Take a moment to remember those who served our country.

: 


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: As always, Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER THIRTY - WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

PART TWO

The tall figure dressed in formal black robes gave him a purely condescending smile. Something Orion would have taken a keen offense to had it been anyone else. But from this particular person, it was positively expected.

Orion turned sharply back to his superior. The pure disbelief still etched in his expression. "Eric Matterson.......is your brother!"

But it was the tall figure still standing next to Bale's desk that answered the outraged question. "Do try not to sound quite so shocked, Mr. Black."

"You're a Deatheater!" Was the first thing Orion could think to say as he turned his attention back to the man.

Matterson gave the accusation the same maddening smile as he had greeted the agent with. "As is, I believe, your charming wife."

Whatever Orion was going to say, the words died on his lips.

"Well?" Matterson asked with a lift of one eyebrow.

"That's different." Orion replied in a low, carefully controlled voice.

"And I couldn't agree more." Matterson answered with a slight, but unmistakable, sneer on his lips, "Since I, for one, do not serve your dark lord. More often than not, Voldemort is dancing to my tune. Or more accurately, following my lead. Whether he is aware of it or not."

The smile the came across the man's face as he spoke gave Orion serious pause.

But Bale quickly brought an end to the taunting.

"That's enough, Eric. We're not here to discuss politics."

The man turned to look down at Bale with something Orion thought was akin to the same irritation Bale had greeted him with. "Of course not." He replied in a bored tone. One that quickly lightened itself as a carefully cultured smile crossed the man's face even as he turned his eyes to Becca. "You were discussing the future of this intriguing......, and most charming child."

From Becca's response to Connie, Orion had expected the girl to all but curl up in a ball as an active defense against the man who could cause most people to break into a cold sweat just by walking into the room. But much to his surprise, not only did Becca not recoil at the new comer's approach, she pulled herself up even straighter in her chair as she met his gaze, not so much as flinching as he stared down at her.

"So you are the intriguing little 'Becca' my brother has told me of." Matterson studied the girl before him for a moment. "Not exactly what I was expecting." He added, turning back to face Bale.

"Small packages." was all Bale said in reply.

Orion carefully watched the two men. So far, nothing in the morning had gone as he had expected.

"Eric Matterson," he repeated, looking at Bale, "is your 'brother'?"

"In so mach as that we are useful to each other." Bale replied.

The other 'Power' raised an eyebrow at the comment, but quickly shrugged the comment off when he saw Orion's attention had shifted back to him.

"Necessity can make for some very strange bedfellows." Matterson commented.

"And your being a Deatheater....?"

"Again, must we delve into your own current circumstances, Mr. Black?" Matterson replied with more than a slight touch of annoyance in his voice. "Your wife, no matter her present feelings on the matter, is still...a Deatheater. And an Elite , no less. But I don't see anyone questioning you about your family relationships."

Orion decided to abandon his current line of questioning since Matterson obviously had a clear cut answer always ready for it.

"For someone not of 'any real consequence', you have a very strange sense of humor." He stated instead.

Matterson regarded him without saying anything.

"You laughed when Orin stated he was the one qualified to teach Becca."

"I believe my brother's words were that he was the one 'eminently' qualified to teach Becca, Mr. Black. It is the 'eminently' part I found amusing."

Bale turned to the man with an irritated look. "And I suppose in your opinion you could do any better?"

"I certainly couldn't do any worse from having listened to you." Matterson replied. "You can't go about, Orin, teaching this child that every time she sticks her nose out the door there's something just waiting to bite it off."

Bale stared up at the other man with a look of irritation. "She'd do well to learn some caution."

"Caution, fine. But don't make her afraid of the world around her. She would do better to learn that there is a world out there," he went on, pointing to the door of the room, "and that she is going to have to learn to live in it, like it or not."

"She needs to understand the world is a dangerous place, Eric."

"True enough. So teach her how to deal with those dangers. Not hide from them."

Bale gave a loud sigh as he leaned forward on his desk, once more folding his hands on it. "The point is, Becca," he stated calmly, "we all have something we can teach you. I can help you with your magic. Teach you to better control it and how it can serve you best in this realm. Connie can teach you how a woman lives in this realm. Lessons I am sure will be very different from what Mr. Baranter taught you. She can also teach you how to present yourself in this realm to others, as well as come up with some sort of background for you that explains your being here to anyone who might get too curious. And Eric.......," Orin paused for a moment.

"Be very careful what you say next." Came the low, rumbled warning.

But Orin suddenly gave Becca a small smile. "Eric can teach you how not to be a bore." He said finally.

The dark streak of light that shot through the air was easily caught by Orin, who quickly turned it over and held it up in front of Becca. "You see." He stated. "A bore. Just study him carefully and do the opposite."

But as he spoke, the glowing sphere slowly faded down until it appeared more as a solid object. Orin turned a curious glance to his brother, who stood where he had been, resting his chin in his hand.

Suddenly the small sphere gave off three short, loud ticks before it erupted in a miniature explosion that left Orin covered from head to waist in a thick black soot.

"Choose your enemies with more care, dear brother." Came the offered advice.

"As I would like to be able to choose my family members." Bale replied in a warning tone as the soot quickly disappeared. "Which brings me to my next order of business for this meeting." He stated, turning back to Becca. "We can't introduce you to people as simply 'Becca'. Someone somewhere is bound to eventually ask your last name." He continued with a small smile. "Should anyone ask, I would like to suggest you use 'Bale' as your last name."

"Bale?" Becca echoed in a questioning tone. "That is your last name."

"Indeed. And as such," the man went on, "it would offer you the protection of our family. People would most naturally assume you were my younger sister."

"Younger sister?" Came the scoffed reply from the man standing next to Bale. "Try niece, Orin. You look old enough to be her father. Not her brother."

Bale didn't so much as look over at the other 'Power'. "'Niece' then." He consented. "So Becca, the choice is entirely yours. You can remain as you are, and there is no fault in that. Or," He added fanning out his arms to indicate the other two standing on either side of him, "you can join our family, were we would welcome you most warmly."

Becca hesitated as she turned a slow gaze to Orion, then back to the man sitting behind the desk.

"Does it mean I would have to live with you?" She ask tentatively.

Bale considered the question. "I suppose not. But you have to be somewhere safe, Becca. At least until you are more capable of protecting yourself."

"Then I like where I am." The girl quickly replied. "I like Mr. Black and his wife. And I like Bo. The house is well protected. I'm very safe there."

Bale fanned his hands out over his desk. "Then by all means, stay there."

Orion's head snapped up. "What!?"

"She feels safe with you, Mr. Black." Bale answered. "You should feel honored by that. That she wants to stay with you and your family." He added, turning back to Becca. "You can certainly stay wherever you like, Becca. And I'm sure, should things change, Connie would be more than willing to take you in. Or we could even set you up in a small apartment of your own. Or even keep you here at the Ministry."

"I don't remember offering to open a hotel." Orion put in quickly.

"One should wonder." Came the flat reply from his superior. "You certainly have plenty of rooms from what I've seen of your house, Mr. Black. And she doesn't even need a room, really. She can stay with the boggart down in the cellar. While not working with one of us, he will do very well as a teacher, having already had the experience with teaching you and your brother."

"Bo is already working helping Sirius relearn how to do magic." Orion pointed out quickly. "Two people is likely to overload him."

"Overload....with two?" Bale asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Trying to teach two people at once isn't something he is used to." Orion tried to explain.

"Well, Becca isn't exactly a normal person, Mr. Black. The boggart may actually find teaching one of his own a refreshing change."

"I'd like him to be given the option at least." Orion stated. "Not just have a new student dropped on him."

Bale waved off Orion's objections. "By all means, ask him. I doubt it will change the plan. In the mean time, Becca will stay with you. Consider it an assignment." Bale quickly cut off any of Orion's further objections. "She needs protection at this stage. I can think of no better person than my top agent."

"What about you? Or Connie, or.......or the Deatheater?"

"I'm a very busy man, Mr. Black. I can not spend all my time looking after a fifteen year old girl. And as that she is my secretary, Connie is equally busy. As for the 'Deatheater', Eric has his own schedule to attend to."

Orion sighed at the situation, seeing no further way out of it.

"Very good then." Bale stated, getting up from his chair. "Since we have this settled now, if you would be so kind as to meet Connie at her desk, she'll give you a schedule of when Becca and I are to meet for her training."

And with that simple effectiveness, Bale brought the whole of the matter to a close.

Preparing to leave, Matterson walked over to Becca took her hand, all but ignoring the Auror sitting next to her.

"It has been a most entertaining afternoon." He stated, placing a light kiss on her hand before releasing it. "Made all the more enjoyable by the company."

Becca gave him a pleased smile.

"Take care......, little sister." He added, before disapparating.

Connie approached her next, taking her hand in a warm, firm grip as she laid the other affectionately on her shoulder.

"It'll be nice to have a younger sister." She said, but then added in a slightly lower, more confidential tone. "But take heed about Eric. Watch yourself with him. He's more wolf than sheep." She added with a small smile.

When Becca gave her a confused look in return, Connie answered it with another small smile. "Don't worry, you'll learn quickly enough about men like Eric Matterson. Just be glad he looks on you as a sister." She said, before turning her attention to Orion. "I'll have Becca's schedule waiting for you at my desk." She informed him in her usual professional tone.

Orion watched the woman leave the room before turning back to his superior. The others may consider the matter closed, but he was far from in agreement.

****

Q&A

Silverfox

****

... Didn't you once say something about there being only three powers? I'm beginning to worry that poor Charlie is the only one in the department who neither is nor has one. ;)

I'm not sure where that reference was made, so I am not sure if it was several years ago and I've changed the plot since then, or if it was referencing just one story.

To date, it is safe to say there are six 'Powers': Becca, Bo, Bale, Matterson, Connie, and Richard. Four of those technically have no host (Becca, Bale, Matterson, and Connie), while Richard's host is Heudros, and Bo's host is Talon. And Bale, Matterson, Connie, and Becca aren't actually 'had' by anyone, since they don't have hosts. And of those four, Becca is the only one who has never had a host at all.

It is very safe to say that at this time, there are no more 'Powers' coming into the story. What you see is what you get.

Welllllll..................., technically, he's not. Strictly speaking, Charlie draws his magical ability off of Orion. But it is by Bo's spell that he can use magic at all. So who is to say Charlie doesn't have some connection to a 'Power' himself?

Ummmmm....., that's not actually making you feel any better about things, is it, Dear?

All reviews are as of 11/15/2009.

And remember;

Don't gamble unless you can afford to lose - and if you can afford to lose - you don't have to gamble.

:: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always, Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER THIRTY - WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

PART TWO

The tall figure dressed in formal black robes gave him a purely condescending smile. Something Orion would have taken a keen offense to had it been anyone else. But from this particular person, it was positively expected.

Orion turned sharply back to his superior. The pure disbelief still etched in his expression. "Eric Matterson.......is your brother!"

But it was the tall figure still standing next to Bale's desk that answered the outraged question. "Do try not to sound quite so shocked, Mr. Black."

"You're a Deatheater!" Was the first thing Orion could think to say as he turned his attention back to the man.

Matterson gave the accusation the same maddening smile as he had greeted the agent with. "As is, I believe, your charming wife."

Whatever Orion was going to say, the words died on his lips.

"Well?" Matterson asked with a lift of one eyebrow.

"That's different." Orion replied in a low, carefully controlled voice.

"And I couldn't agree more." Matterson answered with a slight, but unmistakable, sneer on his lips, "Since I, for one, do not serve your dark lord. More often than not, Voldemort is dancing to my tune. Or more accurately, following my lead. Whether he is aware of it or not."

The smile the came across the man's face as he spoke gave Orion serious pause.

But Bale quickly brought an end to the taunting.

"That's enough, Eric. We're not here to discuss politics."

The man turned to look down at Bale with something Orion thought was akin to the same irritation Bale had greeted him with. "Of course not." He replied in a bored tone. One that quickly lightened itself as a carefully cultured smile crossed the man's face even as he turned his eyes to Becca. "You were discussing the future of this intriguing......, and most charming child."

From Becca's response to Connie, Orion had expected the girl to all but curl up in a ball as an active defense against the man who could cause most people to break into a cold sweat just by walking into the room. But much to his surprise, not only did Becca not recoil at the new comer's approach, she pulled herself up even straighter in her chair as she met his gaze, not so much as flinching as he stared down at her.

"So you are the intriguing little 'Becca' my brother has told me of." Matterson studied the girl before him for a moment. "Not exactly what I was expecting." He added, turning back to face Bale.

"Small packages." was all Bale said in reply.

Orion carefully watched the two men. So far, nothing in the morning had gone as he had expected.

"Eric Matterson," he repeated, looking at Bale, "is your 'brother'?"

"In so mach as that we are useful to each other." Bale replied.

The other 'Power' raised an eyebrow at the comment, but quickly shrugged the comment off when he saw Orion's attention had shifted back to him.

"Necessity can make for some very strange bedfellows." Matterson commented.

"And your being a Deatheater....?"

"Again, must we delve into your own current circumstances, Mr. Black?" Matterson replied with more than a slight touch of annoyance in his voice. "Your wife, no matter her present feelings on the matter, is still...a Deatheater. And an Elite , no less. But I don't see anyone questioning you about your family relationships."

Orion decided to abandon his current line of questioning since Matterson obviously had a clear cut answer always ready for it.

"For someone not of 'any real consequence', you have a very strange sense of humor." He stated instead.

Matterson regarded him without saying anything.

"You laughed when Orin stated he was the one qualified to teach Becca."

"I believe my brother's words were that he was the one 'eminently' qualified to teach Becca, Mr. Black. It is the 'eminently' part I found amusing."

Bale turned to the man with an irritated look. "And I suppose in your opinion you could do any better?"

"I certainly couldn't do any worse from having listened to you." Matterson replied. "You can't go about, Orin, teaching this child that every time she sticks her nose out the door there's something just waiting to bite it off."

Bale stared up at the other man with a look of irritation. "She'd do well to learn some caution."

"Caution, fine. But don't make her afraid of the world around her. She would do better to learn that there is a world out there," he went on, pointing to the door of the room, "and that she is going to have to learn to live in it, like it or not."

"She needs to understand the world is a dangerous place, Eric."

"True enough. So teach her how to deal with those dangers. Not hide from them."

Bale gave a loud sigh as he leaned forward on his desk, once more folding his hands on it. "The point is, Becca," he stated calmly, "we all have something we can teach you. I can help you with your magic. Teach you to better control it and how it can serve you best in this realm. Connie can teach you how a woman lives in this realm. Lessons I am sure will be very different from what Mr. Baranter taught you. She can also teach you how to present yourself in this realm to others, as well as come up with some sort of background for you that explains your being here to anyone who might get too curious. And Eric.......," Orin paused for a moment.

"Be very careful what you say next." Came the low, rumbled warning.

But Orin suddenly gave Becca a small smile. "Eric can teach you how not to be a bore." He said finally.

The dark streak of light that shot through the air was easily caught by Orin, who quickly turned it over and held it up in front of Becca. "You see." He stated. "A bore. Just study him carefully and do the opposite."

But as he spoke, the glowing sphere slowly faded down until it appeared more as a solid object. Orin turned a curious glance to his brother, who stood where he had been, resting his chin in his hand.

Suddenly the small sphere gave off three short, loud ticks before it erupted in a miniature explosion that left Orin covered from head to waist in a thick black soot.

"Choose your enemies with more care, dear brother." Came the offered advice.

"As I would like to be able to choose my family members." Bale replied in a warning tone as the soot quickly disappeared. "Which brings me to my next order of business for this meeting." He stated, turning back to Becca. "We can't introduce you to people as simply 'Becca'. Someone somewhere is bound to eventually ask your last name." He continued with a small smile. "Should anyone ask, I would like to suggest you use 'Bale' as your last name."

"Bale?" Becca echoed in a questioning tone. "That is your last name."

"Indeed. And as such," the man went on, "it would offer you the protection of our family. People would most naturally assume you were my younger sister."

"Younger sister?" Came the scoffed reply from the man standing next to Bale. "Try niece, Orin. You look old enough to be her father. Not her brother."

Bale didn't so much as look over at the other 'Power'. "'Niece' then." He consented. "So Becca, the choice is entirely yours. You can remain as you are, and there is no fault in that. Or," He added fanning out his arms to indicate the other two standing on either side of him, "you can join our family, were we would welcome you most warmly."

Becca hesitated as she turned a slow gaze to Orion, then back to the man sitting behind the desk.

"Does it mean I would have to live with you?" She ask tentatively.

Bale considered the question. "I suppose not. But you have to be somewhere safe, Becca. At least until you are more capable of protecting yourself."

"Then I like where I am." The girl quickly replied. "I like Mr. Black and his wife. And I like Bo. The house is well protected. I'm very safe there."

Bale fanned his hands out over his desk. "Then by all means, stay there."

Orion's head snapped up. "What!?"

"She feels safe with you, Mr. Black." Bale answered. "You should feel honored by that. That she wants to stay with you and your family." He added, turning back to Becca. "You can certainly stay wherever you like, Becca. And I'm sure, should things change, Connie would be more than willing to take you in. Or we could even set you up in a small apartment of your own. Or even keep you here at the Ministry."

"I don't remember offering to open a hotel." Orion put in quickly.

"One should wonder." Came the flat reply from his superior. "You certainly have plenty of rooms from what I've seen of your house, Mr. Black. And she doesn't even need a room, really. She can stay with the boggart down in the cellar. While not working with one of us, he will do very well as a teacher, having already had the experience with teaching you and your brother."

"Bo is already working helping Sirius relearn how to do magic." Orion pointed out quickly. "Two people is likely to overload him."

"Overload....with two?" Bale asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Trying to teach two people at once isn't something he is used to." Orion tried to explain.

"Well, Becca isn't exactly a normal person, Mr. Black. The boggart may actually find teaching one of his own a refreshing change."

"I'd like him to be given the option at least." Orion stated. "Not just have a new student dropped on him."

Bale waved off Orion's objections. "By all means, ask him. I doubt it will change the plan. In the mean time, Becca will stay with you. Consider it an assignment." Bale quickly cut off any of Orion's further objections. "She needs protection at this stage. I can think of no better person than my top agent."

"What about you? Or Connie, or.......or the Deatheater?"

"I'm a very busy man, Mr. Black. I can not spend all my time looking after a fifteen year old girl. And as that she is my secretary, Connie is equally busy. As for the 'Deatheater', Eric has his own schedule to attend to."

Orion sighed at the situation, seeing no further way out of it.

"Very good then." Bale stated, getting up from his chair. "Since we have this settled now, if you would be so kind as to meet Connie at her desk, she'll give you a schedule of when Becca and I are to meet for her training."

And with that simple effectiveness, Bale brought the whole of the matter to a close.

Preparing to leave, Matterson walked over to Becca took her hand, all but ignoring the Auror sitting next to her.

"It has been a most entertaining afternoon." He stated, placing a light kiss on her hand before releasing it. "Made all the more enjoyable by the company."

Becca gave him a pleased smile.

"Take care......, little sister." He added, before disapparating.

Connie approached her next, taking her hand in a warm, firm grip as she laid the other affectionately on her shoulder.

"It'll be nice to have a younger sister." She said, but then added in a slightly lower, more confidential tone. "But take heed about Eric. Watch yourself with him. He's more wolf than sheep." She added with a small smile.

When Becca gave her a confused look in return, Connie answered it with another small smile. "Don't worry, you'll learn quickly enough about men like Eric Matterson. Just be glad he looks on you as a sister." She said, before turning her attention to Orion. "I'll have Becca's schedule waiting for you at my desk." She informed him in her usual professional tone.

Orion watched the woman leave the room before turning back to his superior. The others may consider the matter closed, but he was far from in agreement.

****

Q&A

Silverfox

****

... Didn't you once say something about there being only three powers? I'm beginning to worry that poor Charlie is the only one in the department who neither is nor has one. ;)

I'm not sure where that reference was made, so I am not sure if it was several years ago and I've changed the plot since then, or if it was referencing just one story.

To date, it is safe to say there are six 'Powers': Becca, Bo, Bale, Matterson, Connie, and Richard. Four of those technically have no host (Becca, Bale, Matterson, and Connie), while Richard's host is Heudros, and Bo's host is Talon. And Bale, Matterson, Connie, and Becca aren't actually 'had' by anyone, since they don't have hosts. And of those four, Becca is the only one who has never had a host at all.

It is very safe to say that at this time, there are no more 'Powers' coming into the story. What you see is what you get.

Welllllll..................., technically, he's not. Strictly speaking, Charlie draws his magical ability off of Orion. But it is by Bo's spell that he can use magic at all. So who is to say Charlie doesn't have some connection to a 'Power' himself?

Ummmmm....., that's not actually making you feel any better about things, is it, Dear?

All reviews are as of 11/15/2009.

And remember;

Don't gamble unless you can afford to lose - and if you can afford to lose - you don't have to gamble.

: 


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: A quick correction from last chapter. When Eric left, he referred to Becca as 'little sister'. Technically, that is not correct. If Becca is to be Orin's niece, and Eric and Orin are brother's, then Becca would also be Eric's niece. Not his sister.

No biggie. Just wanted to straighten that out.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER 31: WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

PART THREE

"And that's it?" Orion asked.

Bale looked down at him as he leaned against the front of his desk. "What more do you want? You wanted Becca to have training, and she'll have it. Some of the best she could have hoped for. I fail to see what else there is to discuss."

"What about this 'Richard' Becca keeps going on about?"

Bale frowned at the name. "Richard......Richa.....ah! That upstart she was living with." Bale waved the matter off. "I wouldn't worry much about him. If he causes trouble, Eric and I will deal with him."

"Becca said this 'upstart' was setting his sights on 'the elder'. My guess would be either you or Matterson fit that role."

Bale gave a deep sigh as he regarded the man before him, then turned his attention back to Becca. "Becca, did this 'Richard' ever name the elder he was looking for?"

Becca shook her head.

"Ever describe him, mention him in context with anyone else, or give you any idea whatsoever as to who he is?"

Becca shook her head again.

Bale turned back to Orion. "That effectively has us chasing a ghost, Mr. Black. I haven't time for chasing ghosts."

"And if this 'ghost' turns out to be you or your brother....or Connie?"

Bale fixed a pointed stare on the man before him. "Then we will deal with him, Mr. Black. Richard is a matter best left to those most capable of dealing with him should he cause trouble."

Orion gave a quiet sigh, then got up from his chair. "All right, Becca." He said, turning to the girl who had mirrored him in rising from her own chair, "Let's go get your schedule."

"One last thing, Mr. Black." Bale put in before the two left. "Becca is still very young, very inexperienced, and very vulnerable in this realm. This Richard has already shown that, whereas he may not present much of a threat to Eric, Connie, or myself, he is a very real threat to Becca. We are entrusting you to keep her safe."

Orion didn't feel one ounce of warmth in the smile the 'Power' gave him before he and Becca disapparated home.

* * *

Once they returned to the house, Orion's first order of business was to seek out his family boggart.

Leaving Becca in Katlin's care, Orion went down to the cellar. When talking to Bo about something serious, Orion had learned long ago it was best to meet him on his own turf, so to speak.

For Bo, that meant the cellar.

Heading down the stairs, Orion was instantly greeted by the cellar illuminating enough that he could clearly see the boggart at the bottom of the stairs, happily bouncing back and forth.

Reaching the bottom step, Orion held up a hand. "Bo, I'm not here to play."

The boggart immediately fell still, a soft, disappointed thrill coming from under his hood.

"Bo," Orion went on, "I need you to answer a question for me, and I need a simple 'yes' or 'no', all right. No fooling around. Just 'yes' or 'no'."

The boggart nodded.

"Bo, did you know that Orin Bale was....like you?"

The boggart made a quick gesture that Orion had already anticipated as he swiftly grabbed the boggart's hand to stop him.

"No." Orion stated. "I said I wanted 'yes' or 'no'. No fooling around. 'Yes' or 'no'. Did you know Orin Bale was like you?"

The boggart paused for several minutes while thinking over the question. All the while Orion stood before him keeping a firm grip on his hands to make sure he couldn't do more than nod or shake his head.

Finally the boggart shook his head.

"No?" Orion asked, dropping his hold on the boggart's hands. "What do you mean 'no'? How could you not know? You've met the man. You knew what Becca was when you met her. How could not have known with Orin?"

The boggart, with his hands now free, made several quick gestures. to which Orion gave a very loud sigh.

"You know very good and well what I meant, Bo. I was not asking if he was 'exactly' like you. I wanted to know if you knew he was.....from your realm. A 'Power', like you."

Orion waited to see how the boggart would answer. Trying to get him to conceptualize himself was never easy. Bo never acknowledged the term 'Power'. As far as Orion could ever tell, he simply saw himself as 'Bo'. Having, to Orion's knowledge, never met any of his own kind, he never had to have a word for them. Between Orion and his father, and as far back as either could remember, the entity had always been referred to as the 'Power', or more often, 'the family curse'.

After a few moments, the boggart finally answered, this time nodding to the question.

Orion narrowed his eyes at the black tower before him. "And you never felt the need to tell anyone this because..............?"

After several more minutes past in silence, the boggart made a series of gestures in the air, then quickly folded his arms in front of him, punctuating his comment with a final quick gesture with one hand before folding it too under the other.

"'We never asked' is not a valid answer, Bo!" He practically yelled at the boggart. "Did you not think this was important for us to know? To know there was another 'Power' around? Great magic! Bo, he was from your realm. Didn't you care? Didn't you want to talk to another of your own kind?"

The boggart stood in silence for few seconds, then slowly shook his head.

Bale's words came back to Orion when he had first learned Bale's true nature and had questioned if Bo wouldn't have taken some comfort in wanting to know another of his own kind was so close by.

'He wouldn't have cared less', the head of the Unspeakables had said. A comment that was apparently all too true and left Orion wondering exactly how Bo would react to his next statement.

"All right." He stated, feeling it was best to let the matter go for now in light of what was coming. "We'll move on. I have something else to discuss with you. Something that affects you more directly."

The boggart got very still again, keeping his arms folded in front of him.

"Bo," Orion went on carefully, "there's going to be some changes in the house. Some 'living arrangement' changes."

Orion could practically feel the boggart's senses perk up. Bo hated change. And he hated change even more when it directly effected what went on in his home.

"Now, you remember when the kids came? You weren't very happy about that, right?"

The boggart made no move to respond. But Orion hadn't really expected any answer. He knew Bo was focusing very carefully on what his Channeler was saying, to make sure he didn't misunderstand anything.

"And while you didn't like it at first, it turned out all right, didn't it?"

When his Channeler didn't go on, the boggart gave a very small nod.

"OK." Orion continued, taking a deep breath. "Bo, Orin needs a place for Becca to stay for a while. Until she's more comfortable in this realm. And we thought that maybe, since she was a 'Power' like you, someone from your realm, that it would be best if she were to stay here.....in the cellar with you."

Orion said the last part very slowly to make sure Bo didn't have a chance of misunderstanding what he had said.

If the boggart had been standing still before, he now had turned positively to stone.

Then a cloth covered hand suddenly appeared from under the other, making a quick, short gesture in the air.

No.

Orion sighed quietly. "Bo, she needs a place to stay where she'll be....."

No. The gesture was repeated with the same short curtness.

"Look," Orion tried again, "I know the cellar is yours. I know it's your private place, and this is a lot to ask....."

No.

"Bo, she needs help. She needs prot........."

No.

"Bo, she needs to be protected."

Orion was sure the 'p' word would net him some results. And he was right. Bo started to repeat the gesture, but stopped abruptly. The hand remained in mid-gesture for a few moments. Then slowly Bo slowly raised a cloth covered finger into the air. Folding the hand back under the other, Bo raised the other arm and pointed to a corner of the cellar. Instantly a small, cloth cot appeared against the wall. On it sat a pillow with a blanket neatly folded next to it.

With both arms, the boggart gestured to the offering.

Orion started at it for several seconds. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled." He said finally.

****

Q&A

Silverfox

****

Ah, but have a connection isn't what I said. Charlie may have an indirect connection to Bo, but I doubt he can 'use' him the way Orion does.  
And poor Orion with an extra and mostly useless power on his hands.

Well, you got me there. No one can 'use' Bo the way Orion does. Not even Talon. But then again, the connections there aren't the same. Nor the relationships. To Talon, Bo is more of a 'Go away, kid, ya' bother me' sort of entity, while to Orion, he's his friend.

Now, now. Becca isn't useless. And OK, you did say 'mostly'. But she's 15 years old. And she just got yanked out of her nice, secure little bubble of a world and thrown into something totally different.

A happy camper, she ain't.

And what else is Orion going to do with her? Leave her in the care of three people he doesn't really trust anymore? While he's not thrilled with the situation, he does see it as the most logical one.

Now he just needs to convince Bo of that.

Reviews are as of 11/22/2009.

And remember;

In America we spend millions of dollars a year just for health - no wonder we have so many healthy doctors.

:: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: A quick correction from last chapter. When Eric left, he referred to Becca as 'little sister'. Technically, that is not correct. If Becca is to be Orin's niece, and Eric and Orin are brother's, then Becca would also be Eric's niece. Not his sister.

No biggie. Just wanted to straighten that out.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowing intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER 31: WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

PART THREE

"And that's it?" Orion asked.

Bale looked down at him as he leaned against the front of his desk. "What more do you want? You wanted Becca to have training, and she'll have it. Some of the best she could have hoped for. I fail to see what else there is to discuss."

"What about this 'Richard' Becca keeps going on about?"

Bale frowned at the name. "Richard......Richa.....ah! That upstart she was living with." Bale waved the matter off. "I wouldn't worry much about him. If he causes trouble, Eric and I will deal with him."

"Becca said this 'upstart' was setting his sights on 'the elder'. My guess would be either you or Matterson fit that role."

Bale gave a deep sigh as he regarded the man before him, then turned his attention back to Becca. "Becca, did this 'Richard' ever name the elder he was looking for?"

Becca shook her head.

"Ever describe him, mention him in context with anyone else, or give you any idea whatsoever as to who he is?"

Becca shook her head again.

Bale turned back to Orion. "That effectively has us chasing a ghost, Mr. Black. I haven't time for chasing ghosts."

"And if this 'ghost' turns out to be you or your brother....or Connie?"

Bale fixed a pointed stare on the man before him. "Then we will deal with him, Mr. Black. Richard is a matter best left to those most capable of dealing with him should he cause trouble."

Orion gave a quiet sigh, then got up from his chair. "All right, Becca." He said, turning to the girl who had mirrored him in rising from her own chair, "Let's go get your schedule."

"One last thing, Mr. Black." Bale put in before the two left. "Becca is still very young, very inexperienced, and very vulnerable in this realm. This Richard has already shown that, whereas he may not present much of a threat to Eric, Connie, or myself, he is a very real threat to Becca. We are entrusting you to keep her safe."

Orion didn't feel one ounce of warmth in the smile the 'Power' gave him before he and Becca disapparated home.

* * *

Once they returned to the house, Orion's first order of business was to seek out his family boggart.

Leaving Becca in Katlin's care, Orion went down to the cellar. When talking to Bo about something serious, Orion had learned long ago it was best to meet him on his own turf, so to speak.

For Bo, that meant the cellar.

Heading down the stairs, Orion was instantly greeted by the cellar illuminating enough that he could clearly see the boggart at the bottom of the stairs, happily bouncing back and forth.

Reaching the bottom step, Orion held up a hand. "Bo, I'm not here to play."

The boggart immediately fell still, a soft, disappointed thrill coming from under his hood.

"Bo," Orion went on, "I need you to answer a question for me, and I need a simple 'yes' or 'no', all right. No fooling around. Just 'yes' or 'no'."

The boggart nodded.

"Bo, did you know that Orin Bale was....like you?"

The boggart made a quick gesture that Orion had already anticipated as he swiftly grabbed the boggart's hand to stop him.

"No." Orion stated. "I said I wanted 'yes' or 'no'. No fooling around. 'Yes' or 'no'. Did you know Orin Bale was like you?"

The boggart paused for several minutes while thinking over the question. All the while Orion stood before him keeping a firm grip on his hands to make sure he couldn't do more than nod or shake his head.

Finally the boggart shook his head.

"No?" Orion asked, dropping his hold on the boggart's hands. "What do you mean 'no'? How could you not know? You've met the man. You knew what Becca was when you met her. How could not have known with Orin?"

The boggart, with his hands now free, made several quick gestures. to which Orion gave a very loud sigh.

"You know very good and well what I meant, Bo. I was not asking if he was 'exactly' like you. I wanted to know if you knew he was.....from your realm. A 'Power', like you."

Orion waited to see how the boggart would answer. Trying to get him to conceptualize himself was never easy. Bo never acknowledged the term 'Power'. As far as Orion could ever tell, he simply saw himself as 'Bo'. Having, to Orion's knowledge, never met any of his own kind, he never had to have a word for them. Between Orion and his father, and as far back as either could remember, the entity had always been referred to as the 'Power', or more often, 'the family curse'.

After a few moments, the boggart finally answered, this time nodding to the question.

Orion narrowed his eyes at the black tower before him. "And you never felt the need to tell anyone this because..............?"

After several more minutes past in silence, the boggart made a series of gestures in the air, then quickly folded his arms in front of him, punctuating his comment with a final quick gesture with one hand before folding it too under the other.

"'We never asked' is not a valid answer, Bo!" He practically yelled at the boggart. "Did you not think this was important for us to know? To know there was another 'Power' around? Great magic! Bo, he was from your realm. Didn't you care? Didn't you want to talk to another of your own kind?"

The boggart stood in silence for few seconds, then slowly shook his head.

Bale's words came back to Orion when he had first learned Bale's true nature and had questioned if Bo wouldn't have taken some comfort in wanting to know another of his own kind was so close by.

'He wouldn't have cared less', the head of the Unspeakables had said. A comment that was apparently all too true and left Orion wondering exactly how Bo would react to his next statement.

"All right." He stated, feeling it was best to let the matter go for now in light of what was coming. "We'll move on. I have something else to discuss with you. Something that affects you more directly."

The boggart got very still again, keeping his arms folded in front of him.

"Bo," Orion went on carefully, "there's going to be some changes in the house. Some 'living arrangement' changes."

Orion could practically feel the boggart's senses perk up. Bo hated change. And he hated change even more when it directly effected what went on in his home.

"Now, you remember when the kids came? You weren't very happy about that, right?"

The boggart made no move to respond. But Orion hadn't really expected any answer. He knew Bo was focusing very carefully on what his Channeler was saying, to make sure he didn't misunderstand anything.

"And while you didn't like it at first, it turned out all right, didn't it?"

When his Channeler didn't go on, the boggart gave a very small nod.

"OK." Orion continued, taking a deep breath. "Bo, Orin needs a place for Becca to stay for a while. Until she's more comfortable in this realm. And we thought that maybe, since she was a 'Power' like you, someone from your realm, that it would be best if she were to stay here.....in the cellar with you."

Orion said the last part very slowly to make sure Bo didn't have a chance of misunderstanding what he had said.

If the boggart had been standing still before, he now had turned positively to stone.

Then a cloth covered hand suddenly appeared from under the other, making a quick, short gesture in the air.

No.

Orion sighed quietly. "Bo, she needs a place to stay where she'll be....."

No. The gesture was repeated with the same short curtness.

"Look," Orion tried again, "I know the cellar is yours. I know it's your private place, and this is a lot to ask....."

No.

"Bo, she needs help. She needs prot........."

No.

"Bo, she needs to be protected."

Orion was sure the 'p' word would net him some results. And he was right. Bo started to repeat the gesture, but stopped abruptly. The hand remained in mid-gesture for a few moments. Then slowly Bo slowly raised a cloth covered finger into the air. Folding the hand back under the other, Bo raised the other arm and pointed to a corner of the cellar. Instantly a small, cloth cot appeared against the wall. On it sat a pillow with a blanket neatly folded next to it.

With both arms, the boggart gestured to the offering.

Orion started at it for several seconds. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled." He said finally.

****

Q&A

Silverfox

****

Ah, but have a connection isn't what I said. Charlie may have an indirect connection to Bo, but I doubt he can 'use' him the way Orion does.  
And poor Orion with an extra and mostly useless power on his hands.

Well, you got me there. No one can 'use' Bo the way Orion does. Not even Talon. But then again, the connections there aren't the same. Nor the relationships. To Talon, Bo is more of a 'Go away, kid, ya' bother me' sort of entity, while to Orion, he's his friend.

Now, now. Becca isn't useless. And OK, you did say 'mostly'. But she's 15 years old. And she just got yanked out of her nice, secure little bubble of a world and thrown into something totally different.

A happy camper, she ain't.

And what else is Orion going to do with her? Leave her in the care of three people he doesn't really trust anymore? While he's not thrilled with the situation, he does see it as the most logical one.

Now he just needs to convince Bo of that.

Reviews are as of 11/22/2009.

And remember;

In America we spend millions of dollars a year just for health - no wonder we have so many healthy doctors.

: 


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER 32: LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

"A cot!? I am expected to sleep on a cot!?"

Orion had been pretty accurate in his expectation of Becca's reaction to Bo's offer of sharing his living space.

"It's temporary, Becca. Orin wants you kept safe. Down here with Bo is about as safe as any place in this realm can get."

The fledgling 'Power' didn't seem to be paying him much attention. Instead, with hands on hips, she marched directly over to where the dark tower of cloth stood.

"A cot in a dirty, dark, cold, wet room is exactly what Richard offered me." She all but spat at the boggart. "You're no better than he is."

Bo simply made a gesture in front of himself to her, then folded his arms back over his chest and stared down at her.

"I don't understand you." She stated between clenched teeth.

"All right, children." Orion broke in quickly, heading for the stairs. "I'll leave you two to get acquainted. I'm sure you have lots to talk about. Try not to stay up too late."

Becca was following after him in a flash. "You can't mean to actually leave me down here with him?!" She stated in disbelief.

Orion leaned over the banner rail. "That's the general idea, Love, yes."

"Mr. Bale said you were going to take care of me!" She stated firmly.

"And I am. Orion replied, heading up the stairs. "You have the best body guard you could hope for."

A stomped foot answered him. "I want to speak to Katlin!"

"Katlin's gone to bed for the night. Talk to her in the morning."

Another stomped foot. "That will be too late! I need to speak to her tonight!"

"In the morning, Becca."

"Mr. Bale will hear about this!" She yelled up the stairs after him.

"And I'm sure he'll be delighted." Came the answer just before the door slammed shut.

* * *

The next morning Orion came down the stairs with Katlin in close pursuit.

"You can't serious tell me you expect to open that door up to happy campers." She stated.

Orion turned back to her. "Katlin, it's common sense. You leave two people alone in a room with nothing to do but talk, and they'll work out their differences."

"It's fantasy, that's what it is." The Elite answered. "Orion, things like that rarely happen in real life. My bet is more that your cellar is barely standing, knowing Becca's propensity for getting a bit......excited...when she's angry."

Orion gave her a patronizing stare as he reached for the cellar door. "Well," he said, "I guess we'll see who's right."

Katlin crossed her arms over her chest. "Total disaster." She proclaimed.

Orion's smile never wavered. "Happy.....," he started as he opened the door.

Immediately a plumb of smoke burst forth and began to fill the foyer.

"...campers." Came the ending word through the haze of smoke.

Katlin coughed several times as she quickly fanned her hand about trying to dispel some of the smoke. "Well someone certainly lit the campfire last night. Becca!" She called, heading for the stairs.

But she never even reached them before the fledgling 'Power' appeared before her and launched herself into Katlin's arms in a flurry of tears and rampant accusations.

"It was horrible!" She stated. "He locked me down there, Katlin, and he left me with....with...that thing! And he wouldn't listen to me and he expected me to sleep on a cot and he wouldn't talk to me and........."

Half way through the ramblings Orion lost track if the girl was talking about him Bo. Instead he turned his attention back to the cellar. Starting down the stairs, he nearly tripped down the majority of them as a whole section of the stairway was now little more than a smoking pile of burnt stones. Pulling out his wand, Orion repaired the damage and continued down, illuminating his way through the smoke with the tip of his wand.

"Bo?" He called, wondering where the boggart was. Bo generally defended his territory with a 'look but don't touch or get too close' philosophy. But so far he was no where to be seen. But the bottom of the stairs, Orion was abruptly stopped as the tower of dark robes finally appeared before him. From the stance and the way the boggart looked down his cloth covered nose at his Channeler, Orion easily figured he was dealing with one very pissed off boggart.

The problem was, he couldn't even much blame him.

"All right." Orion started quickly, holding both hands up. "I was wrong. This was a bad idea, and you were the one to suffer for it. Bo, I'm sorry." He stated contritely, looking as apologetic as he could.

The boggart didn't so much as move.

"I'm sorry about your cellar." Orion went on. "I'll make her clean it up. Put everything back exactly where it was. You'll never know anything was damaged. I'll even make her do it without magic if you want. OK?"

The boggart still never moved.

"I'll hang a sign on the door....'Bo's cellar'. No one can come down here ever again without your express permission."

Nothing.

"I'll take you out for Halloween this year. You can scare as many people as you want."

Nothing.

"I'll let the kids come over one day this week. That always cheers you up, hey!"

Nothing.

Orion sighed. He hadn't found one thing to make things right with his friend yet.

"OK," he said finally, pulling out what he hoped was his trump card, "I'll move her upstairs into her own room. In a whole different wing of the house. Far, far away from your cellar. How's that?"

The boggart stood silently for a few minutes. But finally he unfolded his arms and reached over and patted Orion on the head.

Going back up the stairs, Orion was already bellowing Becca's name long before he reached the doorway. By the time he got there he found the girl with her back plastered against his wife, looking very determined about her stand.

Behind her, Katlin rested her hands comfortingly on the girl's shoulders. "Orion....," she stated in a low, controlled but warning tone, "...fifteen. Remember?"

Orion focused his gaze on his wife as he pointed to the cellar door. "Oh no." He stated from between clenched teeth. "Fifteen year olds do not do that sort of damage. Fifteen year olds scream and cry and beg, plead, and manipulate. They do not destroy whole sections of my house....," he added, glaring down at Becca, "...just because they didn't get their own way."

"He was being...." Becca started.

"Stop!" Orion cut her off quickly. "Do not even try and throw this back in Bo's face. You destroyed his home, Becca. And for no good reason."

"How do you know that?" Came the calm, reasonable voice from behind the girl.

Orion turned his eyes back to his wife. "Because I went downstairs." He stated in a low quiet tone.

"And going downstairs told you all that?" Katlin asked in the same calm voice. "That she had no reason for what she did?"

"And what is her great excuse then?" Orion asked, staring down at the girl, who glared back up at him.

"He wouldn't talk to her!" Katlin defended.

"He doesn't talk." Orion reminded her, trying his best to keep his tone level as he never diverted his stare from Becca.

"Maybe not. But he can spell things out when he has too. Granted, his spelling sometimes takes a bit of imagination to work out, but he can write things down. He used to do it for me before I learned his hand signals. And he does it with Sirius. But Becca said he wouldn't even help her. And he used her inability to communicate with her as a way to....wind her up. In my understanding," Katlin added, directing her stare at the tower of dark robes that appeared before the cellar door, "someone got what they asked for."

"That does not excuse what she did." Orion stated in his own companion's defense.

"Oh, doesn't it?"

"All right!" All right!" Orion stated, holding his hands up. "Personally, I no longer care who did what to who and for what reason. Here's the simple way things are going to be." Orion pointed a finger at Becca. "You. my girl, are going to clean up that mess in the cellar. You are not to leave it until every stone is back in place. If I find so much as one scratch on the wall that wasn't there before your little temper tantrum after you say you're done, you'll start over from the beginning."

"Orion!" Katlin began.

But Orion cut her off. "Katlin, she needs to learn discipline. She did something wrong. I'm giving her a chance to correct it. And she can thank you she's even getting this chance. Personally, after this little display, I would just as soon send her packing back to Orin and let him deal with her."

Becca's expression had gone from defiant to disbelief. "That's not fair!" She cried. "He wouldn't talk to me. I tried to ask him questions and he ignored me."

Orion turned his attention back to her. "Be that as it may," he stated, "that was no excuse for what you did to his cellar. Now, you will clean it up, and you will do it to his satisfaction."

"But my lessons start today with Mr. Bale!"

"Well, then you best get started." Orion replied. "And be well advised, that if you do not do as you have been told, there will be no lessons, my girl."

Becca's eyes widened. "What?"

"You heard me. No lessons. You can sit in that cellar and stare at the walls for all I care. Or you can go back to your castle and stare at the rocks. Those are your choices. But be quick about it, I have other things to do this morning."

Becca stared back at him for several seconds. "I will tell Mr. Bale you are not allowing me to come to my lessons." She stated with determination.

"I'll do you one better." Orion answered her. "I'll bring him here and you can tell him....after he sees what you wrought with your little temper tantrum last night. Then we'll see if he even still wants to teach you."

And with that Orion walked past the very dejected looking girl on his way to the kitchen.

Katlin patted her on the shoulder and gave her a few comforting words before going after him.

* * *

Standing outside the cellar door, Becca finally began to go down the stairs, carefully taking in the scope of the job set before her with each step. When she reached the bottom she stood for some time simply looking at the remains of the cellar.

Well, she had been able to cause the destruction easily enough. But she'd always been able to do that. That part of magic was easy. It was just....letting go.

Becca gave a disappointed sigh. Why did magic seem to listen to her sometimes but not others? And how was she ever going to fix the cellar? She couldn't even fix a single room?

Still lost in the scope of the task she was suppose to be doing, Becca failed to notice when the tower of dark robes appeared next to her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder, causing her to jump in surprise.

Turning back to the room with a dismal expression, Becca grumbled at him. "What do you want? Come to watch the fun?"

Bo tapped her lightly on the shoulder again, and when she turned to him, fanned his arm out at the room before them. When Becca turned back to him, the boggart gave a slight shrug.

"Don't start with me again." She stated harshly. "You've already gotten me in plenty of trouble. Now I have to clean up your cellar, and I don't even know how."

The boggart stood silently next to her, watching as the fledgling 'Power' walked over to a small chunk of rock laying on the floor and picked it up. Looking around, she finally tossed it haphazardly to the side.

"I'm going to be down here forever." She lamented.

Gliding over to where she now stood, Bo picked up the stone she had discarded and held it up to her.

"What am I suppose to do with it?" She stated, none of the harshness leaving her tone.

Holding the stone up still, Bo gave it a small toss. As soon as it was air-born, an invisible force took control of it and sent it flying over to a side wall where a large crater had been left in the center. At first it seemed as though it were going to simply collide with the wall. But instead it hit the wall and stuck there, finally melding itself into the wall until it became a part of it.

"Wonderful. So you can do proper magic." Becca stated flatly, turning to the boggart. "I'm so happy for you."

Pointing at the place where the stone now adhered itself to the wall, Bo reached his hand out and the stone instantly became detached from the wall again and flew back into his hand.

Again he held the stone up to Becca.

"Fine!" She snapped at him. "It works for you! It doesn't work for me. Don't you understand that!?"

Bo continued to hold the stone up to her, nudging it at her.

"Just go away!" She shouted at him. "If you want to do something useful, you should have left it in the wall. It would be one less rock I would have to worry about."

Tossing the rock into the air, Bo sent it again sailing over to the wall, where it quickly meddled itself once more into it. But no sooner had the rock adhered itself than Bo reached his hand out again. This time a larger stone that was laying on the floor answered his silent call. It flew off the floor and came to a rest, floating in the air just in front of the two. Pointing to the rock, Bo then pointed to the wall, then to Becca, the rock, and the wall again.

"I already told you!" She stated. "I don't know how! I'm not like you. I'm not good with magic." Pointing a finger at the newly mended wall, a bolt of light flew at the fresh repair, opening a new crater in the center of the old one. "That is what I can do. It is all I can do until I get Mr. Bale to teach me. Which I'm not even going to get now because Mr. Black won't let me go to my lessons until I fix the cellar, which I can't do until I get my lessons!" She finished on a near hysterical note.

Bo pulled back slightly in the face of her rising tone. When she finished, he stood for a few moments staring down at her. But suddenly he raised one arm and gave a quiet snap through the cloth of his robes.

Immediately a silent, rolling wave began to wash over the cellar. As Becca watched in wide-eyed amazement, everything the wave passed over was instantly either repaired or put in its original place.

When the wave complied it's journey at the far end of the cellar, no one would have ever known the room was anything other than as it was now.

Becca stood for several minutes staring at the transformation. But eventually she turned back to the tower of dark robes.

"Why?" She asked. "Why help me?"

The boggart paused for a moment, then went through an elaborate series of gestures. At the end of the sequence, he fell silent again, standing motionless in front of her.

Becca gave a deep sigh. "I wish I could understand you." She said quietly, then after a few seconds gave him a small, but sincere smile. "Thank you, Bo."

The boggart regarded her for a few moments, then reached down and taking one of her hands in his, lightly patted it with the other.

Becca gave him another small smile, then quickly turned and hurried up the stairs to go to her lessons.

And remember;

Happy St. Nicholas Day to those of you who celebrate this wonderful custom.

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER 32: LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

"A cot!? I am expected to sleep on a cot!?"

Orion had been pretty accurate in his expectation of Becca's reaction to Bo's offer of sharing his living space.

"It's temporary, Becca. Orin wants you kept safe. Down here with Bo is about as safe as any place in this realm can get."

The fledgling 'Power' didn't seem to be paying him much attention. Instead, with hands on hips, she marched directly over to where the dark tower of cloth stood.

"A cot in a dirty, dark, cold, wet room is exactly what Richard offered me." She all but spat at the boggart. "You're no better than he is."

Bo simply made a gesture in front of himself to her, then folded his arms back over his chest and stared down at her.

"I don't understand you." She stated between clenched teeth.

"All right, children." Orion broke in quickly, heading for the stairs. "I'll leave you two to get acquainted. I'm sure you have lots to talk about. Try not to stay up too late."

Becca was following after him in a flash. "You can't mean to actually leave me down here with him?!" She stated in disbelief.

Orion leaned over the banner rail. "That's the general idea, Love, yes."

"Mr. Bale said you were going to take care of me!" She stated firmly.

"And I am. Orion replied, heading up the stairs. "You have the best body guard you could hope for."

A stomped foot answered him. "I want to speak to Katlin!"

"Katlin's gone to bed for the night. Talk to her in the morning."

Another stomped foot. "That will be too late! I need to speak to her tonight!"

"In the morning, Becca."

"Mr. Bale will hear about this!" She yelled up the stairs after him.

"And I'm sure he'll be delighted." Came the answer just before the door slammed shut.

* * *

The next morning Orion came down the stairs with Katlin in close pursuit.

"You can't serious tell me you expect to open that door up to happy campers." She stated.

Orion turned back to her. "Katlin, it's common sense. You leave two people alone in a room with nothing to do but talk, and they'll work out their differences."

"It's fantasy, that's what it is." The Elite answered. "Orion, things like that rarely happen in real life. My bet is more that your cellar is barely standing, knowing Becca's propensity for getting a bit......excited...when she's angry."

Orion gave her a patronizing stare as he reached for the cellar door. "Well," he said, "I guess we'll see who's right."

Katlin crossed her arms over her chest. "Total disaster." She proclaimed.

Orion's smile never wavered. "Happy.....," he started as he opened the door.

Immediately a plumb of smoke burst forth and began to fill the foyer.

"...campers." Came the ending word through the haze of smoke.

Katlin coughed several times as she quickly fanned her hand about trying to dispel some of the smoke. "Well someone certainly lit the campfire last night. Becca!" She called, heading for the stairs.

But she never even reached them before the fledgling 'Power' appeared before her and launched herself into Katlin's arms in a flurry of tears and rampant accusations.

"It was horrible!" She stated. "He locked me down there, Katlin, and he left me with....with...that thing! And he wouldn't listen to me and he expected me to sleep on a cot and he wouldn't talk to me and........."

Half way through the ramblings Orion lost track if the girl was talking about him Bo. Instead he turned his attention back to the cellar. Starting down the stairs, he nearly tripped down the majority of them as a whole section of the stairway was now little more than a smoking pile of burnt stones. Pulling out his wand, Orion repaired the damage and continued down, illuminating his way through the smoke with the tip of his wand.

"Bo?" He called, wondering where the boggart was. Bo generally defended his territory with a 'look but don't touch or get too close' philosophy. But so far he was no where to be seen. But the bottom of the stairs, Orion was abruptly stopped as the tower of dark robes finally appeared before him. From the stance and the way the boggart looked down his cloth covered nose at his Channeler, Orion easily figured he was dealing with one very pissed off boggart.

The problem was, he couldn't even much blame him.

"All right." Orion started quickly, holding both hands up. "I was wrong. This was a bad idea, and you were the one to suffer for it. Bo, I'm sorry." He stated contritely, looking as apologetic as he could.

The boggart didn't so much as move.

"I'm sorry about your cellar." Orion went on. "I'll make her clean it up. Put everything back exactly where it was. You'll never know anything was damaged. I'll even make her do it without magic if you want. OK?"

The boggart still never moved.

"I'll hang a sign on the door....'Bo's cellar'. No one can come down here ever again without your express permission."

Nothing.

"I'll take you out for Halloween this year. You can scare as many people as you want."

Nothing.

"I'll let the kids come over one day this week. That always cheers you up, hey!"

Nothing.

Orion sighed. He hadn't found one thing to make things right with his friend yet.

"OK," he said finally, pulling out what he hoped was his trump card, "I'll move her upstairs into her own room. In a whole different wing of the house. Far, far away from your cellar. How's that?"

The boggart stood silently for a few minutes. But finally he unfolded his arms and reached over and patted Orion on the head.

Going back up the stairs, Orion was already bellowing Becca's name long before he reached the doorway. By the time he got there he found the girl with her back plastered against his wife, looking very determined about her stand.

Behind her, Katlin rested her hands comfortingly on the girl's shoulders. "Orion....," she stated in a low, controlled but warning tone, "...fifteen. Remember?"

Orion focused his gaze on his wife as he pointed to the cellar door. "Oh no." He stated from between clenched teeth. "Fifteen year olds do not do that sort of damage. Fifteen year olds scream and cry and beg, plead, and manipulate. They do not destroy whole sections of my house....," he added, glaring down at Becca, "...just because they didn't get their own way."

"He was being...." Becca started.

"Stop!" Orion cut her off quickly. "Do not even try and throw this back in Bo's face. You destroyed his home, Becca. And for no good reason."

"How do you know that?" Came the calm, reasonable voice from behind the girl.

Orion turned his eyes back to his wife. "Because I went downstairs." He stated in a low quiet tone.

"And going downstairs told you all that?" Katlin asked in the same calm voice. "That she had no reason for what she did?"

"And what is her great excuse then?" Orion asked, staring down at the girl, who glared back up at him.

"He wouldn't talk to her!" Katlin defended.

"He doesn't talk." Orion reminded her, trying his best to keep his tone level as he never diverted his stare from Becca.

"Maybe not. But he can spell things out when he has too. Granted, his spelling sometimes takes a bit of imagination to work out, but he can write things down. He used to do it for me before I learned his hand signals. And he does it with Sirius. But Becca said he wouldn't even help her. And he used her inability to communicate with her as a way to....wind her up. In my understanding," Katlin added, directing her stare at the tower of dark robes that appeared before the cellar door, "someone got what they asked for."

"That does not excuse what she did." Orion stated in his own companion's defense.

"Oh, doesn't it?"

"All right!" All right!" Orion stated, holding his hands up. "Personally, I no longer care who did what to who and for what reason. Here's the simple way things are going to be." Orion pointed a finger at Becca. "You. my girl, are going to clean up that mess in the cellar. You are not to leave it until every stone is back in place. If I find so much as one scratch on the wall that wasn't there before your little temper tantrum after you say you're done, you'll start over from the beginning."

"Orion!" Katlin began.

But Orion cut her off. "Katlin, she needs to learn discipline. She did something wrong. I'm giving her a chance to correct it. And she can thank you she's even getting this chance. Personally, after this little display, I would just as soon send her packing back to Orin and let him deal with her."

Becca's expression had gone from defiant to disbelief. "That's not fair!" She cried. "He wouldn't talk to me. I tried to ask him questions and he ignored me."

Orion turned his attention back to her. "Be that as it may," he stated, "that was no excuse for what you did to his cellar. Now, you will clean it up, and you will do it to his satisfaction."

"But my lessons start today with Mr. Bale!"

"Well, then you best get started." Orion replied. "And be well advised, that if you do not do as you have been told, there will be no lessons, my girl."

Becca's eyes widened. "What?"

"You heard me. No lessons. You can sit in that cellar and stare at the walls for all I care. Or you can go back to your castle and stare at the rocks. Those are your choices. But be quick about it, I have other things to do this morning."

Becca stared back at him for several seconds. "I will tell Mr. Bale you are not allowing me to come to my lessons." She stated with determination.

"I'll do you one better." Orion answered her. "I'll bring him here and you can tell him....after he sees what you wrought with your little temper tantrum last night. Then we'll see if he even still wants to teach you."

And with that Orion walked past the very dejected looking girl on his way to the kitchen.

Katlin patted her on the shoulder and gave her a few comforting words before going after him.

* * *

Standing outside the cellar door, Becca finally began to go down the stairs, carefully taking in the scope of the job set before her with each step. When she reached the bottom she stood for some time simply looking at the remains of the cellar.

Well, she had been able to cause the destruction easily enough. But she'd always been able to do that. That part of magic was easy. It was just....letting go.

Becca gave a disappointed sigh. Why did magic seem to listen to her sometimes but not others? And how was she ever going to fix the cellar? She couldn't even fix a single room?

Still lost in the scope of the task she was suppose to be doing, Becca failed to notice when the tower of dark robes appeared next to her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder, causing her to jump in surprise.

Turning back to the room with a dismal expression, Becca grumbled at him. "What do you want? Come to watch the fun?"

Bo tapped her lightly on the shoulder again, and when she turned to him, fanned his arm out at the room before them. When Becca turned back to him, the boggart gave a slight shrug.

"Don't start with me again." She stated harshly. "You've already gotten me in plenty of trouble. Now I have to clean up your cellar, and I don't even know how."

The boggart stood silently next to her, watching as the fledgling 'Power' walked over to a small chunk of rock laying on the floor and picked it up. Looking around, she finally tossed it haphazardly to the side.

"I'm going to be down here forever." She lamented.

Gliding over to where she now stood, Bo picked up the stone she had discarded and held it up to her.

"What am I suppose to do with it?" She stated, none of the harshness leaving her tone.

Holding the stone up still, Bo gave it a small toss. As soon as it was air-born, an invisible force took control of it and sent it flying over to a side wall where a large crater had been left in the center. At first it seemed as though it were going to simply collide with the wall. But instead it hit the wall and stuck there, finally melding itself into the wall until it became a part of it.

"Wonderful. So you can do proper magic." Becca stated flatly, turning to the boggart. "I'm so happy for you."

Pointing at the place where the stone now adhered itself to the wall, Bo reached his hand out and the stone instantly became detached from the wall again and flew back into his hand.

Again he held the stone up to Becca.

"Fine!" She snapped at him. "It works for you! It doesn't work for me. Don't you understand that!?"

Bo continued to hold the stone up to her, nudging it at her.

"Just go away!" She shouted at him. "If you want to do something useful, you should have left it in the wall. It would be one less rock I would have to worry about."

Tossing the rock into the air, Bo sent it again sailing over to the wall, where it quickly meddled itself once more into it. But no sooner had the rock adhered itself than Bo reached his hand out again. This time a larger stone that was laying on the floor answered his silent call. It flew off the floor and came to a rest, floating in the air just in front of the two. Pointing to the rock, Bo then pointed to the wall, then to Becca, the rock, and the wall again.

"I already told you!" She stated. "I don't know how! I'm not like you. I'm not good with magic." Pointing a finger at the newly mended wall, a bolt of light flew at the fresh repair, opening a new crater in the center of the old one. "That is what I can do. It is all I can do until I get Mr. Bale to teach me. Which I'm not even going to get now because Mr. Black won't let me go to my lessons until I fix the cellar, which I can't do until I get my lessons!" She finished on a near hysterical note.

Bo pulled back slightly in the face of her rising tone. When she finished, he stood for a few moments staring down at her. But suddenly he raised one arm and gave a quiet snap through the cloth of his robes.

Immediately a silent, rolling wave began to wash over the cellar. As Becca watched in wide-eyed amazement, everything the wave passed over was instantly either repaired or put in its original place.

When the wave complied it's journey at the far end of the cellar, no one would have ever known the room was anything other than as it was now.

Becca stood for several minutes staring at the transformation. But eventually she turned back to the tower of dark robes.

"Why?" She asked. "Why help me?"

The boggart paused for a moment, then went through an elaborate series of gestures. At the end of the sequence, he fell silent again, standing motionless in front of her.

Becca gave a deep sigh. "I wish I could understand you." She said quietly, then after a few seconds gave him a small, but sincere smile. "Thank you, Bo."

The boggart regarded her for a few moments, then reached down and taking one of her hands in his, lightly patted it with the other.

Becca gave him another small smile, then quickly turned and hurried up the stairs to go to her lessons.

And remember;

Happy St. Nicholas Day to those of you who celebrate this wonderful custom.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE: AND LYING IS A BAD THING

Standing in the kitchen, Orion watched as Katlin busied herself with gathering a few favorite things to take with her when she left to return to his parents home and their children. But through it all was the unmistakable lack of any conversation.

"All right" He stated finally. "Let's hear it."

Katlin turned to him. "Hear what?"

"What have I done wrong?"

"Why should you have done anything wrong?" Katlin asked, taking a box of cereal out of the cabinet.

"Because you haven't said one word to me since I walked in here." He replied. ""Usually that's a clear code I've done something that upset you. So, what have I done wrong?"

Katlin stopped midway in reaching for something else in the cabinet. Slowly pulling her hand back, she turned to him with downcast eyes. "You haven't done anything 'wrong', Orion." She told him finally. "It's just......how you are. Sometimes it's how you are even with the children."

"And 'how', exactly, am I with the children that has anything to do with anything going on here now?"

"It has everything to do with this situation, Orion. Sometimes.....you just expect too much of them."

Orion furrowed his brow. "Expect too much?"

"What about Lucy?"  
"Lucy?"

"The last time she brought her grades in all you had to say was that her Charms scores were low."

"They were!"

"Perhaps. But she also had excellent marks in everything else."

Orion gave her a puzzled stare.

"Orion, she did very well in all her other classes. But you couldn't get past that score in Charms to tell her so. She's very upset about it."

"Lucy's upset?"

"She's a teenage girl, Orion. You're approval means a lot to her. And right now, she doesn't feel very.....approved of."

Orion crossed his arms over his chest. "All right. I'll talk to Lucy when the kids come home. But I fail to see what any of this has to do with Becca?"

Katlin walked past him to pack a few things in her bag. "It has everything to do with Becca, Orion." She told him. "Because you're handling her exactly the same way."

Orion leaned over the table between them. "Katlin, Becca is not a fifteen........"

Katlin nailed him with a hard stare. "That is exactly what she is, Orion. A fifteen year old, very scared, very immature, very uncertain young girl. One who is desperately looking for approval from someone and finding it no place she turns. How do you think this.......this Richard managed to lure her in so easily?"

Orion gave her another puzzled stare.

"He was nice to her, Orion. He gave her that one thing she craved so badly. Approval. And he lathered it down with attention. The perfect bait to any fifteen year old girl."

Just then the conversation was cut short by an exuberant Becca waltzing into the kitchen.

"I'm ready!" She announced happily.

Orion turned a hard stare to her. "For what?"

Becca came to a stop in front of him. "For my lessons. I'm ready to leave."

"And we had an understanding I believe about your lessons." Orion replied. "There would be no lessons until.............."

"The cellar has been......fixed." Becca answered, although Orion didn't miss for a second the hesitancy in the statement.

"And has it been 'fixed'?" He asked.

Becca nodded quickly.

Orion sighed to himself as he turned and headed out of the kitchen and back to the cellar. Becca keeping pace behind him all the way and Katlin bringing up the rear.

"It's just like it was." Becca stated. "Just like you said it had to be. Can I leave now? Mr. Bale is waiting and I'm late."

"You'll leave when I say so." Orion replied over his shoulder as he open the door to the cellar. "And Orin can wait all day if he has to. You're not leaving here until I see what this cellar actually looks like."

But a few feet down the stairs Orion stopped in his tracks, staring out over a cellar that looked like it was lit by the noon day sun. Something that was unusual enough for the boggart's usually dark and musty cellar. But equally unusual was that every article that he could ever remember seeing in the cellar was carefully back in its place. A task that was no small feat based on Bo's propensity for liking to collect odd objects.

It wasn't that the cellar was messy. Quite the opposite. In his opinion, Orion felt the boggart was something of a neat freak. But sometimes it was hard to tell what was something of actual value and what was junk. A steel rod sitting in a corner may look to the casual observer like something a work crew had left behind by accident. While to Bo it could be a treasured keepsake.

But the object that caught Orion's gaze quickest stood silently in the center of the cellar. The tall dark tower of black robes seemed to be waiting patiently for his Channeler's assessment of the situation as he stood with his hands clasp in front of him, staring up at him.

Slowly Orion turned back to the young girl behind him who was apparently also waiting for his decision. Though if her expression was anything to go by, with a great deal more enthusiasm.

"'You' did this?" He asked carefully.

Becca studied his expression for a few seconds, then quickly nodded.

"'You'?" Orion asked again.

Again the girl nodded eagerly.

Orion sighed to himself and turned to start back up the stairs. He knew without a doubt he was being lied to. But he didn't have the time to argue it out with the defiant 'Power' at the moment. And in truth, he felt it was more important that Becca go to her lessons than get a fifteen minute lecture on the merits of telling the truth and the consequences of lying. Lectures, could wait. Her lessons needed to take priority at the moment in his opinion. "We'll discuss this when you get home." He stated finally. "For now you can go to you're lessons."

Becca was clearly about to express her pleasure at the decision when both she and Orion ran straight into a very stoic looking Katlin, who had not made one move on the stairs to allow them to pass.

"Becca," she stated in a calm, but equally controlled voice, "you fixed the cellar?"

The girl quickly nodded again.

"All by yourself?" Katlin asked in the same tone.

The girl paused for a moment this time, but then quickly nodded again.

"Tell me the spells you used." Katlin fired the question at her. "And I'll make it even easier for you. Tell me just 'one' spell you used to do this."

The girl's exuberant expression instantly fell. "Spell?" She asked.

"Yes." Katlin replied, her tone never changing. "You know, those things we use to control our magic. Tell me one that you used to fix the cellar."

The girl fell instantly silent, thinking over the situation. But then she turned a defiant stare back to Katlin. "I don't use spells." She replied with a lofty air. "I am magic. It answers my call and serves me as I wish."

"Good for you." Katlin replied flatly. Pulling out her wand she pointed it at a seemingly insignificant pile of papers stacked neatly on top of a bookcase. The ensuing spell sent the papers flying into the air as though a small bomb had gone off underneath them.

An action that, from his reaction, Orion thought was going to send his boggart into a seizure as Bo stiffened suddenly in shock, then turned an obviously unhappy posture back to Katlin.

But Orion's wife quickly held her hand up to the boggart as she continued to stare at the girl before her. "For someone who cleaned up this whole cellar in the blink of an eye, putting that pile of paper back together should be a snap." She informed her.

The girl stared down at the pile of papers now laying on the floor. Watching as the last one floated down through the air like a falling leaf.

"Well?" Katlin asked after a few moments of Becca not making any move to comply.

"It's.......that's not the same thing." Becca replied in a stammered voice. "That's....that's a small thing."

"Then it should be that much easier." Katlin informed her.

The girl simply continued to stare at the rifled papers.

Katlin gave the fledgling 'Power' ample time to consider her options before moving on.

"Becca." She said finally, prompting the girl's attention back to her. "There are exactly two things in this house that are never tolerated." She stated. "One is hitting and the other is lying. Let me catch you doing either one again and there will be serious consequences. Do we understand each other?"

The girl quickly nodded without saying a word.

Katlin stepped to the side. "Then you may now go to your lessons."

Becca was apparently all too happy to be on her way as she scrambled past the Elite and up the remaining stairs.

"Why does that just come so naturally to you?" Orion asked her as he walked up to the step she was standing on.

"A lot of practice." Katlin replied.

"The dark lord has been recruiting children all these years?"

Katlin gave him a small smile. "You'd be amazed." She replied. "Most of them are, in my opinion, little more than overgrown children. The problem is, they are overgrown children who can do magic. And do it very well.

But on occasion they need a bit of......discipline. When Voldemort isn't around to dole out his own particular brand, that job falls to me. And it is my decision what form the punishment takes. And over the years I've found that sometimes a well placed warning is even more effective than any form of physical abuse." She added, turning back to where the boggart still stood staring up at her. "I'm sorry about the mess, Bo." She said. Pulling out her wand, she sent the papers quickly flying back to their original place in a neatly packed pile. "It was necessary though."

* * *

Several hours later Becca returned to the house after her lessons with Bale.

Orion had fully expected to be deluged with the excited girl's tale of how her training went. But from the front room, all he heard was the chime of the alarm letting him know someone had apparated into the house and the slam of a door.

Figuring the lack of any excited ramblings did not bode well, Orion gave things a few minutes to settle down before he went searching for his errant ward.

Not that finding her took much work. Heading for the cellar he slowly made his way down the stairs. Not entirely sure what sort of mood he would find her in, he wanted to be prepared should he need to avoid any flying missiles.

But rather than finding the girl throwing one of her common tantrums, Orion found her instead laying on her cot, facing the wall.

"Becca?" He asked cautiously, wishing with everything in him that Katlin hadn't gone back to his parents house yet.

Getting no response, Orion conjured up a chair and sat down next to her bed.

"Went well then, did it?" He asked.

The head on the pillow quickly shook 'no'.

"So what happened?"

"He hates me." Came the muffled voice.

"Orin? Becca, Orin hates everybody. It's his job."

"He'll never want to see me again after today." The fledgling 'Power' went on between sniffs and a cracking voice. "I didn't do anything right. Not even the simplest task."

"Did Orin tell you not to come back?"

Becca shook her head again. "But he didn't give me a time to come back for another lesson either. And he didn't look very happy when I left."

"Becca, Orin Bale is never going to win any awards handed out for patience, all right. And.....and he understands you're very new to a lot of things. How to use your magic, this realm, the people around you. You have a lot to adjust to. It's going to take time for you to start getting things right. And until then, yes, you are going to make mistakes. Orin understands this."

The girl rolled over on her bed and stared up at him. "Do you think so?"

"Becca, he expects you to mess up now and then. If you knew how to do it all right from the very beginning, he wouldn't need to teach you, now would he?"

Becca thought for a moment, then shook her head.

A bell suddenly sounded. Looking up, Orion held up his hand and a note suddenly appeared in it.

"Mail's in." He stated, turning to the parchment in his hand. With a small smile he read the name on it and silently thanked Connie for her promptness. The message couldn't have come at a better time.........providing it was what he thought.

Turning back to her, he handed the piece of parchment to Becca. "I believe this one is for you."

Becca quickly pulled herself up on the cot and took the small note. Unfolding it she carefully read it over. "It's from Connie." She said. "Mr. Bale wants to see me in the morning............for my next lesson."

Orion gave her another small smile. "There. You see. Things aren't as dismal as you thought."

But from the girl's expression, Orion could see the note hadn't dispelled all her worries.

"What if I do as badly as I did today?" She asked, turning back to him.

"Then the next time you'll try harder."

Becca's mood didn't lift even an inch at the statement as she turned her attention back to the note.

"Look, suppose I make a deal with you." Orion said finally.

Becca turned back to him.

"You show me what Orin was trying to teach you today, we'll practice those spells together, and tomorrow morning, I'll go with you to the office for moral support. How about that?"

Becca considered the offer for a few moments, but finally, with a small smile, gave a tentative nod.

"All right then." Orion replied, getting up as the chair disappeared. "Let's go do some homework then."

****

Q&A

Silverfox

****

So why didn't Bo just repair it all and tell her to go? That way he'd have been rid of her much faster. Why attempt to show her how?  
*cuddles Bo*

That's a bit complicated.

First, you have to remember why things fall mainly into the 'like' or 'dislike' column for Bo. They are either 'new' or 'different'. Becca falls into both categories for Bo.

Secondly, while not 'exactly' like him, Becca is one of Bo's own kind, and all in all, he does like her.

So, why didn't he just repair the damage and tell her to go? Well, Bo knows Becca isn't exactly thrilled to be in this realm, and is doing all he can to help her adjust. And seeing an opportunity to make her happy, he took it.

Now, 'Why attempt to show her how?'? That's a tricky question that actually will get answered in the next chapter.

See you then.

All reviews are as of 12/13/2009.

And remember;

A man's doctor sent him a get well card, and in it was a bill for $30.00.

:: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.****

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE: AND LYING IS A BAD THING

Standing in the kitchen, Orion watched as Katlin busied herself with gathering a few favorite things to take with her when she left to return to his parents home and their children. But through it all was the unmistakable lack of any conversation.

"All right" He stated finally. "Let's hear it."

Katlin turned to him. "Hear what?"

"What have I done wrong?"

"Why should you have done anything wrong?" Katlin asked, taking a box of cereal out of the cabinet.

"Because you haven't said one word to me since I walked in here." He replied. ""Usually that's a clear code I've done something that upset you. So, what have I done wrong?"

Katlin stopped midway in reaching for something else in the cabinet. Slowly pulling her hand back, she turned to him with downcast eyes. "You haven't done anything 'wrong', Orion." She told him finally. "It's just......how you are. Sometimes it's how you are even with the children."

"And 'how', exactly, am I with the children that has anything to do with anything going on here now?"

"It has everything to do with this situation, Orion. Sometimes.....you just expect too much of them."

Orion furrowed his brow. "Expect too much?"

"What about Lucy?"  
"Lucy?"

"The last time she brought her grades in all you had to say was that her Charms scores were low."

"They were!"

"Perhaps. But she also had excellent marks in everything else."

Orion gave her a puzzled stare.

"Orion, she did very well in all her other classes. But you couldn't get past that score in Charms to tell her so. She's very upset about it."

"Lucy's upset?"

"She's a teenage girl, Orion. You're approval means a lot to her. And right now, she doesn't feel very.....approved of."

Orion crossed his arms over his chest. "All right. I'll talk to Lucy when the kids come home. But I fail to see what any of this has to do with Becca?"

Katlin walked past him to pack a few things in her bag. "It has everything to do with Becca, Orion." She told him. "Because you're handling her exactly the same way."

Orion leaned over the table between them. "Katlin, Becca is not a fifteen........"

Katlin nailed him with a hard stare. "That is exactly what she is, Orion. A fifteen year old, very scared, very immature, very uncertain young girl. One who is desperately looking for approval from someone and finding it no place she turns. How do you think this.......this Richard managed to lure her in so easily?"

Orion gave her another puzzled stare.

"He was nice to her, Orion. He gave her that one thing she craved so badly. Approval. And he lathered it down with attention. The perfect bait to any fifteen year old girl."

Just then the conversation was cut short by an exuberant Becca waltzing into the kitchen.

"I'm ready!" She announced happily.

Orion turned a hard stare to her. "For what?"

Becca came to a stop in front of him. "For my lessons. I'm ready to leave."

"And we had an understanding I believe about your lessons." Orion replied. "There would be no lessons until.............."

"The cellar has been......fixed." Becca answered, although Orion didn't miss for a second the hesitancy in the statement.

"And has it been 'fixed'?" He asked.

Becca nodded quickly.

Orion sighed to himself as he turned and headed out of the kitchen and back to the cellar. Becca keeping pace behind him all the way and Katlin bringing up the rear.

"It's just like it was." Becca stated. "Just like you said it had to be. Can I leave now? Mr. Bale is waiting and I'm late."

"You'll leave when I say so." Orion replied over his shoulder as he open the door to the cellar. "And Orin can wait all day if he has to. You're not leaving here until I see what this cellar actually looks like."

But a few feet down the stairs Orion stopped in his tracks, staring out over a cellar that looked like it was lit by the noon day sun. Something that was unusual enough for the boggart's usually dark and musty cellar. But equally unusual was that every article that he could ever remember seeing in the cellar was carefully back in its place. A task that was no small feat based on Bo's propensity for liking to collect odd objects.

It wasn't that the cellar was messy. Quite the opposite. In his opinion, Orion felt the boggart was something of a neat freak. But sometimes it was hard to tell what was something of actual value and what was junk. A steel rod sitting in a corner may look to the casual observer like something a work crew had left behind by accident. While to Bo it could be a treasured keepsake.

But the object that caught Orion's gaze quickest stood silently in the center of the cellar. The tall dark tower of black robes seemed to be waiting patiently for his Channeler's assessment of the situation as he stood with his hands clasp in front of him, staring up at him.

Slowly Orion turned back to the young girl behind him who was apparently also waiting for his decision. Though if her expression was anything to go by, with a great deal more enthusiasm.

"'You' did this?" He asked carefully.

Becca studied his expression for a few seconds, then quickly nodded.

"'You'?" Orion asked again.

Again the girl nodded eagerly.

Orion sighed to himself and turned to start back up the stairs. He knew without a doubt he was being lied to. But he didn't have the time to argue it out with the defiant 'Power' at the moment. And in truth, he felt it was more important that Becca go to her lessons than get a fifteen minute lecture on the merits of telling the truth and the consequences of lying. Lectures, could wait. Her lessons needed to take priority at the moment in his opinion. "We'll discuss this when you get home." He stated finally. "For now you can go to you're lessons."

Becca was clearly about to express her pleasure at the decision when both she and Orion ran straight into a very stoic looking Katlin, who had not made one move on the stairs to allow them to pass.

"Becca," she stated in a calm, but equally controlled voice, "you fixed the cellar?"

The girl quickly nodded again.

"All by yourself?" Katlin asked in the same tone.

The girl paused for a moment this time, but then quickly nodded again.

"Tell me the spells you used." Katlin fired the question at her. "And I'll make it even easier for you. Tell me just 'one' spell you used to do this."

The girl's exuberant expression instantly fell. "Spell?" She asked.

"Yes." Katlin replied, her tone never changing. "You know, those things we use to control our magic. Tell me one that you used to fix the cellar."

The girl fell instantly silent, thinking over the situation. But then she turned a defiant stare back to Katlin. "I don't use spells." She replied with a lofty air. "I am magic. It answers my call and serves me as I wish."

"Good for you." Katlin replied flatly. Pulling out her wand she pointed it at a seemingly insignificant pile of papers stacked neatly on top of a bookcase. The ensuing spell sent the papers flying into the air as though a small bomb had gone off underneath them.

An action that, from his reaction, Orion thought was going to send his boggart into a seizure as Bo stiffened suddenly in shock, then turned an obviously unhappy posture back to Katlin.

But Orion's wife quickly held her hand up to the boggart as she continued to stare at the girl before her. "For someone who cleaned up this whole cellar in the blink of an eye, putting that pile of paper back together should be a snap." She informed her.

The girl stared down at the pile of papers now laying on the floor. Watching as the last one floated down through the air like a falling leaf.

"Well?" Katlin asked after a few moments of Becca not making any move to comply.

"It's.......that's not the same thing." Becca replied in a stammered voice. "That's....that's a small thing."

"Then it should be that much easier." Katlin informed her.

The girl simply continued to stare at the rifled papers.

Katlin gave the fledgling 'Power' ample time to consider her options before moving on.

"Becca." She said finally, prompting the girl's attention back to her. "There are exactly two things in this house that are never tolerated." She stated. "One is hitting and the other is lying. Let me catch you doing either one again and there will be serious consequences. Do we understand each other?"

The girl quickly nodded without saying a word.

Katlin stepped to the side. "Then you may now go to your lessons."

Becca was apparently all too happy to be on her way as she scrambled past the Elite and up the remaining stairs.

"Why does that just come so naturally to you?" Orion asked her as he walked up to the step she was standing on.

"A lot of practice." Katlin replied.

"The dark lord has been recruiting children all these years?"

Katlin gave him a small smile. "You'd be amazed." She replied. "Most of them are, in my opinion, little more than overgrown children. The problem is, they are overgrown children who can do magic. And do it very well.

But on occasion they need a bit of......discipline. When Voldemort isn't around to dole out his own particular brand, that job falls to me. And it is my decision what form the punishment takes. And over the years I've found that sometimes a well placed warning is even more effective than any form of physical abuse." She added, turning back to where the boggart still stood staring up at her. "I'm sorry about the mess, Bo." She said. Pulling out her wand, she sent the papers quickly flying back to their original place in a neatly packed pile. "It was necessary though."

* * *

Several hours later Becca returned to the house after her lessons with Bale.

Orion had fully expected to be deluged with the excited girl's tale of how her training went. But from the front room, all he heard was the chime of the alarm letting him know someone had apparated into the house and the slam of a door.

Figuring the lack of any excited ramblings did not bode well, Orion gave things a few minutes to settle down before he went searching for his errant ward.

Not that finding her took much work. Heading for the cellar he slowly made his way down the stairs. Not entirely sure what sort of mood he would find her in, he wanted to be prepared should he need to avoid any flying missiles.

But rather than finding the girl throwing one of her common tantrums, Orion found her instead laying on her cot, facing the wall.

"Becca?" He asked cautiously, wishing with everything in him that Katlin hadn't gone back to his parents house yet.

Getting no response, Orion conjured up a chair and sat down next to her bed.

"Went well then, did it?" He asked.

The head on the pillow quickly shook 'no'.

"So what happened?"

"He hates me." Came the muffled voice.

"Orin? Becca, Orin hates everybody. It's his job."

"He'll never want to see me again after today." The fledgling 'Power' went on between sniffs and a cracking voice. "I didn't do anything right. Not even the simplest task."

"Did Orin tell you not to come back?"

Becca shook her head again. "But he didn't give me a time to come back for another lesson either. And he didn't look very happy when I left."

"Becca, Orin Bale is never going to win any awards handed out for patience, all right. And.....and he understands you're very new to a lot of things. How to use your magic, this realm, the people around you. You have a lot to adjust to. It's going to take time for you to start getting things right. And until then, yes, you are going to make mistakes. Orin understands this."

The girl rolled over on her bed and stared up at him. "Do you think so?"

"Becca, he expects you to mess up now and then. If you knew how to do it all right from the very beginning, he wouldn't need to teach you, now would he?"

Becca thought for a moment, then shook her head.

A bell suddenly sounded. Looking up, Orion held up his hand and a note suddenly appeared in it.

"Mail's in." He stated, turning to the parchment in his hand. With a small smile he read the name on it and silently thanked Connie for her promptness. The message couldn't have come at a better time.........providing it was what he thought.

Turning back to her, he handed the piece of parchment to Becca. "I believe this one is for you."

Becca quickly pulled herself up on the cot and took the small note. Unfolding it she carefully read it over. "It's from Connie." She said. "Mr. Bale wants to see me in the morning............for my next lesson."

Orion gave her another small smile. "There. You see. Things aren't as dismal as you thought."

But from the girl's expression, Orion could see the note hadn't dispelled all her worries.

"What if I do as badly as I did today?" She asked, turning back to him.

"Then the next time you'll try harder."

Becca's mood didn't lift even an inch at the statement as she turned her attention back to the note.

"Look, suppose I make a deal with you." Orion said finally.

Becca turned back to him.

"You show me what Orin was trying to teach you today, we'll practice those spells together, and tomorrow morning, I'll go with you to the office for moral support. How about that?"

Becca considered the offer for a few moments, but finally, with a small smile, gave a tentative nod.

"All right then." Orion replied, getting up as the chair disappeared. "Let's go do some homework then."

****

Q&A

Silverfox

****

So why didn't Bo just repair it all and tell her to go? That way he'd have been rid of her much faster. Why attempt to show her how?  
*cuddles Bo*

That's a bit complicated.

First, you have to remember why things fall mainly into the 'like' or 'dislike' column for Bo. They are either 'new' or 'different'. Becca falls into both categories for Bo.

Secondly, while not 'exactly' like him, Becca is one of Bo's own kind, and all in all, he does like her.

So, why didn't he just repair the damage and tell her to go? Well, Bo knows Becca isn't exactly thrilled to be in this realm, and is doing all he can to help her adjust. And seeing an opportunity to make her happy, he took it.

Now, 'Why attempt to show her how?'? That's a tricky question that actually will get answered in the next chapter.

See you then.

All reviews are as of 12/13/2009.

And remember;

A man's doctor sent him a get well card, and in it was a bill for $30.00.

: 


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: PROGRESS

A large part of the day Orion spent working with Becca on the spells she told him Bale was trying to teach her to use. But as the rest of the afternoon progressed, Orion started to get a feel for his superior's frustration in working with the girl, since doing so was wearing seriously hard on his own nerves.

The problem always seemed to come back to the same issue. It wasn't that Becca didn't have power. It was that she had too much and lacked any ability to control it.

All the while the tower of dark robes stood by observing the progress, or lack thereof, of Orion's ward. Although he never interfered or even offered a suggestion or help of any kind, Orion could tell Bo was watching the proceedings with a keen interest.

"All right." Orion finally called as he carefully mended a hole in one of the walls of the room they were in. "I think that's enough for today."

"Enough!?" Becca immediately protested. "But I still haven't managed any of the spells Mr. Bale wanted me to learn."

"You're not going to learn them in a day, Becca." Orion tried to calm her impatience. "And Mr. Bale is going to see improvement, I promise you. He'll know you've been working on the spells outside of your lessons with him."

The assurance seemed to at least soothe the fledgling 'Power's' anxiety some and Orion quickly resolved to make sure Orin was aware of Becca's efforts if he had to send a certified notice by owl to do it. Of one thing Orion was certain where the girl was concerned. Just as Katlin had pointed out, she needed reassurance from those around her. Not a proverbial pat on the head, but genuine affirmation she was making some sort of progress. Without it, her devotion to whatever she was working on took a serious nosedive.

And in his opinion, the practice hadn't been a total waste of time. Becca did seem to have gained a certain amount more control over her magical skills. From her description of the lesson with Bale, the whole point was to simply have the teacher send the ball up into the air, and have the student try to gain control of it. Of course, making a ball capable of withstanding Becca's 'grip' had been some doing. But all in all, he felt things went as well as could be expected.

Her aim still needed some work, Orion noted as the last of the hole in the wall was smoothed over, but her control had made some marked improvement........if you looked hard enough.

* * *

The next morning Orion arrived with Becca for her morning lesson to a non-to-pleased looking Orin Bale.

"I generally don't approve of spectators, Mr. Black." He quickly informed his agent.

"Well, then it's good I'm not here as one." Orion replied flatly.

"And your presence then would be......?"

"Moral support." Orion answered in the same flat, curt tone.

"Becca does not need some one to hold her hand." Bale countered. "She's doing just fine on her own."

"Becca doesn't see it that way." Orion replied. "And aside from moral support, I'm here also as simply another of her teachers."

"Teachers?"

"I'm Becca's teacher at the house. She is very devoted on the idea of continuing her training at the house once she's done here for the day. And as that Bo is usually busy with Sirius most of the day, I'll be helping Becca practice what she's learned from you."

Bale seemed to consider the information, then finally gave a brief nod. "That is acceptable." He stated. "However, I will not be tolerating any interference in her lessons while she is here, Mr. Black. You may not agree with all I am trying to teach Becca, but I will insist that you respect it."

Orion didn't agree or disagree with the comment, but seriously wondered exactly what Bale was teaching Becca that his superior thought he might not agree with.

"And I expect the same out of that one." Bale added, indicating the area behind Orion.

Turning around, Orion found the boggart standing just behind him. "What are you doing here?" Orion asked him.

The boggart made several gestures, then folded his arms back in front of him.

Orion turned back to an expectantly watching Bale.

"Well?"

"He said he's here to observe." Orion answered.

Bale sighed quietly as he studied to boggart for a few moments. "Fine." He said finally. "Same rules apply." He reiterated before seating himself in one of the chairs in front of his desk and indicating for Becca to take the other one, which she quickly did.

"All right." Bale said. "Mr. Black says you have been practicing your lessons from yesterday, lets see what you've done with them."

"Yes, elder." Came the sharp, crisp reply.

Orion shot a quick, questioning look at his superior.

"Merely a term of respect." Bale explained. "To Becca, I am her elder. Someone who has been in this realm longer than she has and who has more experience. And it is a term she is comfortable with and that sets clear boundaries that she can understand."

And having given the only clarification he cared to, Bale turned back to his pupil. Conjuring up a semi-opaque white sphere, he held it up in front of Becca. "Now, the same routine from yesterday, yes?"

Watching the floating sphere, Orion suddenly got a deep seated feeling of dread. The sphere looked a good deal different from the one he and Becca had practiced with the day before. It looked a good deal more.......fragile. And Bale didn't send the sphere sailing about the room as Becca had described. Instead he simply allowed it to float off of his hand and up towards the ceiling on it's own power.

"Becca," Orion asked her as they both watched the ball make it's ascent, "I thought you said Orin had made the ball sail around the room and you were to catch it?"

"No." The girl replied, seemingly concentrating hard on the sphere above her. "He just let it float up to the ceiling on it's own."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Orion asked her.

Becca turned back to him. "Because your game was much more fun." She replied honestly.

"Becca!" Bale snapped her attention back to him. "Concentrate. You and Mr. Black can discuss your lessons on your own time please."

The girl quickly turned her attention back to the sphere above her.

"Very good. Now, can you feel the ball?"

Becca nodded as she watched it continue to climb.

"Good. Now, bring it back down." Bale ordered.

Orion saw clear doubt cloud the girl's expression as she squinted hard at the ball. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then he saw the ball start to shudder.

"That's too much!" Bale barked at her. "Pull back!"

But it was too late. An instant later the ball exploded and tiny shreds of rubber rained down over them. Orion picked one off his lap and stretched it slightly.

"A balloon?" He asked, staring at Bale.

"A very effective learning tool when it comes to working on her control." Bale explained. "Simple, but highly effective."

Sitting in her chair, Becca looked about at the scattered shreds of the balloon with a dismal expression.

"Mr. Black's ball was a good deal sturdier." She remarked quietly.

"Yes, well, having you try to control a cannon ball floating in the air isn't going to net the same results, now is it?" Bale asked.

Becca slowly shook her head.

"All right then. Again." Bale stated. "And concentrate this time."

For the next half hour Orion watched the same routine play itself out several times. Each time with Becca becoming more and more disheartened and Bale losing a fraction more of his patience with her. It was a small wonder she had returned to the house so unhappy.

Giving a loud sigh, Bale thought for a moment before turning back to the girl. "Let's try something different." He said finally.

Becca's face lit up at the prospect of a different task. But the light quickly went out when she saw Bale conjure up a lightly glowing sphere.

"I thought you said something 'different'." She remarked glumly.

"Perhaps you should see what the exercise is before you judge it." Bale replied in an even tone.

Setting the glowing sphere before her, Bale sent it up to the ceiling and then just as easily brought it back down until it rested in front of her again, hanging suspended in the air.

"Now you." He stated.

Becca gave a dismal sigh but did as she was told. The sphere easily sailed up into the air until it nearly reached the ceiling, then just as easily returned to where it had hung before her.

"Do it again." Bale ordered.

Orion watched the process repeat three times before Bale changed the lesson.

"Do it again." He stated. "But this time we'll change the rules."

Becca eyed him for a moment, but did as she was told. The sphere dutifully sailed up to the ceiling. But when she attempted to retrieve it, the sphere stayed where it was, gently bobbing in the air near the rafters.

Frowning at it, Becca increased her pull on the sphere, but it refused to budge.

Glancing over at where he sat, Orion noted that Bale had his own attention now focused on the sphere as well.

"Bring the sphere back down, Becca." He told her, never once looking over at her but focusing his attention on where the sphere hung in the air.

""I'm trying!" She stated in a tone near to a despairing wail. "But it's fighting me."

"I'm fighting you." Bale replied. "And you're exerting far too much effort. Brute force will not win this for you. Lighten your hold and focus your magic on the sphere to get it back."

"But you're fighting me!" Becca stated again.

"I am trying to hold you in check. You're using far to much force. Now pull back!"

Becca now had a white knuckled grip on the arms of her chair. "I can't!"

"You aren't trying!"

"I am!!!"

But suddenly the sphere flared up in an expanding burst of light and dissolved.

Orion was sure the girl sitting next to him, staring up at where the sphere had been, was going to break into tears as bleak as she looked. If this was the way the lesson had gone the morning before he could better understand Becca's mood when she returned to the house.

"So what happened?" He asked, turning to Bale.

The 'Power' stared at the girl in the chair with a hard expression. "She was fighting too hard." He explained, turning finally to his agent. "The sphere had two magical forces focused on it. Both opposing each other. In order to regain control of the sphere, she needed to centralize her magical ability and focus it. Try something other than brute force to get the sphere away from me. In this case, she did not do as she was told and in such a situation, when the force exceeds a certain amount, the sphere disperses."

Before Orion could respond, a finger tapped him on the shoulder.

Turning around, Orion found Bo still standing placidly behind him.

"What?"

The boggart held up a finger, then glided over the floor until he came to stand in front of the fledgling 'Power'. Crouching down he tapped her lightly on her hands to get her attention.

Bale watched the display with a bored expression. "Now wha......?"

Orion quickly waved him down. "No. Let him go. Let's see what he has planned."

"Coddling isn't my preferred method of teaching, Mr. Black."

"Bo doesn't coddle either, Orin. But he does teach. And he does it very well. I can vouch for that and so can Sirius. We both learned from Bo. Let's give him a chance with Becca."

Patting her hands again, Bo pulled back slightly and suddenly pulled a large, brightly colored purple balloon from his robe's sleeve.

Becca gave the display a small smile as she reached out for the balloon. But at the last minute, Bo released it and the balloon started to float towards the ceiling. Becca watched it until Bo again patted her hands.

Becca watched as the boggart first pointed to the balloon hovering up at the ceiling, then to her, then to the balloon again.

Becca frowned at the obvious request, but just the same focused her attention on the balloon and attempted to bring it back down. But the balloon gave a slight shake as Becca's magic grabbed hold of it, descended a few inches, then disappeared with a loud pop.

Becca turned the same sad, dismal expression to the boggart, who quickly gave her hands a gentle pat, then quickly pulled another balloon from his robe's sleeve.

Again he released the balloon. But this time he gestured to Becca to try to retrieve it long before it reached the ceiling.

The results were exactly the same.

Consoling her with a gentle pat on the hands, Bo pulled another balloon from the sleeve of his robes and held it up in front of Becca. Releasing it, the balloon this time only went up a few feet, then stopped. Bo quickly pointed to the balloon.

With a sigh, Becca tried once more, with the exact same results.

"This is pointless." She said in a depressed tone. "I can't do it. And I don't even know why."

But the boggart stayed crouched in front of her, simply staring at her without making any other move. After a few moments past, he once more patted her on the hands.

Becca looked up at him. "What? Again?" She asked. "Don't you see I can't do this."

Bo ignored her statement and instead simply produced another balloon from the sleeve of his robe. This time, however, as he released the balloon to send it floating on its way up to the ceiling, a long purple ribbon trailed out of his robe sleeve after it. When the balloon's theater came to the end, Bo grabbed it in his cloth covered fingers and held on, allowing the balloon to go only so far up before he used the ribbon to pull it back down. He repeated the action several times, then handed the ribbon over to Becca. She watched as the boggart pointed to the balloon, then to the ribbon. When she didn't respond, he reached over and, placing his hand over her's pulled on the ribbon to make the balloon come back down a few feet. Becca stared at the balloon for several seconds, the gave the ribbon a tentative tug.

The balloon bounced at the end of its tether.

Frowning, Becca pulled on the ribbon a few more times, directing her attention between the ribbon and the reaction her pulls on it got from the balloon.

For several moments the exploration went on until Orion saw understanding suddenly light the girl's expression.

Letting go of the ribbon, Becca watched the balloon float towards the ceiling. But instead of reaching again for the ribbon, Becca instead held her arms up, directing her reach towards the escaping balloon.

Floating upwards, the balloon suddenly stopped midway and hung in the air as if it had bumped into a glass barrier. It bounced about in the air a few times before a delighted laugh rose up from underneath it and the balloon suddenly took off on a horizontal path, spinning around the room several times.

Within minutes it was breaking out of its fixed flight pattern and doing circles and loops in the air; all the while the young girl laughing beneath it as she guided it on its path.

Still sitting in his chair, leaned back now with his fingers steepled in front of him, Bale watched the display with a growing frown.

"All right." He said finally. "I'm game. What's the difference?"

A bright flash of dark light erupted next to the desk.

"You honestly don't know?" Matterson asked as wisps of smoke settled around him.

Bale turned to the other 'Power' with an equally deep frown. "Enlighten me then."

"She needed to feel it, Orin. Becca hasn't been in this realm that long."

"She's been here fifteen years." Bale replied, the frown still in place.

"And in those fifteen years, when has she ever used her magic like this? She needed to feel how the object she was trying to control felt. Becca may have been in this realm for fifteen years, but she has had woefully little experience with the outside world. And I doubt her 'keepers' ever allowed her to use her magic for much past what they wanted. She needs to experience things before she can learn to control them, Orin."

Bale gave a quiet sigh as he considered Eric's assessment of the situation. "All right." He said finally, watching his pupil happily bring the balloon down to hover between her hands as she smiled at it. "She needs training and she needs it with someone who seems to understand her needs." Bale turned to his agent, a small smile playing across his lips. "Mr. Black, your boggart has just volunteered to becomeWait a minute ... She is staying with Bo now? I thought she was supposed to get her own room now? I'm quite worried how this is going to work out.

Becca's new teacher."

****

Q&A

Silverfox:

****

Wait a minute ... She is staying with Bo now? I thought she was supposed to get her own room now? I'm quite worried how this is going to work out.

Well, technically it hasn't been even a whole day since Orion promised Bo to get Becca out of his cellar. We gotta give him at least a little bit of time to find a spare room and fix it up for her.

Also, keep in mind the age range you're dealing with here. I mean, how long does a three year old generally stay mad at someone? Granted, she did a REALLY big no-no. But Bo is a fairly forgiving sort.

Will Becca be leaving the cellar? That question is answered in the next chapter.

And remember;

I want to wish every one of my readers, old and new, a very merry Christmas and a blessed and happy holiday season. No matter what it means to you, may the spirit of the season bring you peace and joy.

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: PROGRESS

A large part of the day Orion spent working with Becca on the spells she told him Bale was trying to teach her to use. But as the rest of the afternoon progressed, Orion started to get a feel for his superior's frustration in working with the girl, since doing so was wearing seriously hard on his own nerves.

The problem always seemed to come back to the same issue. It wasn't that Becca didn't have power. It was that she had too much and lacked any ability to control it.

All the while the tower of dark robes stood by observing the progress, or lack thereof, of Orion's ward. Although he never interfered or even offered a suggestion or help of any kind, Orion could tell Bo was watching the proceedings with a keen interest.

"All right." Orion finally called as he carefully mended a hole in one of the walls of the room they were in. "I think that's enough for today."

"Enough!?" Becca immediately protested. "But I still haven't managed any of the spells Mr. Bale wanted me to learn."

"You're not going to learn them in a day, Becca." Orion tried to calm her impatience. "And Mr. Bale is going to see improvement, I promise you. He'll know you've been working on the spells outside of your lessons with him."

The assurance seemed to at least soothe the fledgling 'Power's' anxiety some and Orion quickly resolved to make sure Orin was aware of Becca's efforts if he had to send a certified notice by owl to do it. Of one thing Orion was certain where the girl was concerned. Just as Katlin had pointed out, she needed reassurance from those around her. Not a proverbial pat on the head, but genuine affirmation she was making some sort of progress. Without it, her devotion to whatever she was working on took a serious nosedive.

And in his opinion, the practice hadn't been a total waste of time. Becca did seem to have gained a certain amount more control over her magical skills. From her description of the lesson with Bale, the whole point was to simply have the teacher send the ball up into the air, and have the student try to gain control of it. Of course, making a ball capable of withstanding Becca's 'grip' had been some doing. But all in all, he felt things went as well as could be expected.

Her aim still needed some work, Orion noted as the last of the hole in the wall was smoothed over, but her control had made some marked improvement........if you looked hard enough.

* * *

The next morning Orion arrived with Becca for her morning lesson to a non-to-pleased looking Orin Bale.

"I generally don't approve of spectators, Mr. Black." He quickly informed his agent.

"Well, then it's good I'm not here as one." Orion replied flatly.

"And your presence then would be......?"

"Moral support." Orion answered in the same flat, curt tone.

"Becca does not need some one to hold her hand." Bale countered. "She's doing just fine on her own."

"Becca doesn't see it that way." Orion replied. "And aside from moral support, I'm here also as simply another of her teachers."

"Teachers?"

"I'm Becca's teacher at the house. She is very devoted on the idea of continuing her training at the house once she's done here for the day. And as that Bo is usually busy with Sirius most of the day, I'll be helping Becca practice what she's learned from you."

Bale seemed to consider the information, then finally gave a brief nod. "That is acceptable." He stated. "However, I will not be tolerating any interference in her lessons while she is here, Mr. Black. You may not agree with all I am trying to teach Becca, but I will insist that you respect it."

Orion didn't agree or disagree with the comment, but seriously wondered exactly what Bale was teaching Becca that his superior thought he might not agree with.

"And I expect the same out of that one." Bale added, indicating the area behind Orion.

Turning around, Orion found the boggart standing just behind him. "What are you doing here?" Orion asked him.

The boggart made several gestures, then folded his arms back in front of him.

Orion turned back to an expectantly watching Bale.

"Well?"

"He said he's here to observe." Orion answered.

Bale sighed quietly as he studied to boggart for a few moments. "Fine." He said finally. "Same rules apply." He reiterated before seating himself in one of the chairs in front of his desk and indicating for Becca to take the other one, which she quickly did.

"All right." Bale said. "Mr. Black says you have been practicing your lessons from yesterday, lets see what you've done with them."

"Yes, elder." Came the sharp, crisp reply.

Orion shot a quick, questioning look at his superior.

"Merely a term of respect." Bale explained. "To Becca, I am her elder. Someone who has been in this realm longer than she has and who has more experience. And it is a term she is comfortable with and that sets clear boundaries that she can understand."

And having given the only clarification he cared to, Bale turned back to his pupil. Conjuring up a semi-opaque white sphere, he held it up in front of Becca. "Now, the same routine from yesterday, yes?"

Watching the floating sphere, Orion suddenly got a deep seated feeling of dread. The sphere looked a good deal different from the one he and Becca had practiced with the day before. It looked a good deal more.......fragile. And Bale didn't send the sphere sailing about the room as Becca had described. Instead he simply allowed it to float off of his hand and up towards the ceiling on it's own power.

"Becca," Orion asked her as they both watched the ball make it's ascent, "I thought you said Orin had made the ball sail around the room and you were to catch it?"

"No." The girl replied, seemingly concentrating hard on the sphere above her. "He just let it float up to the ceiling on it's own."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Orion asked her.

Becca turned back to him. "Because your game was much more fun." She replied honestly.

"Becca!" Bale snapped her attention back to him. "Concentrate. You and Mr. Black can discuss your lessons on your own time please."

The girl quickly turned her attention back to the sphere above her.

"Very good. Now, can you feel the ball?"

Becca nodded as she watched it continue to climb.

"Good. Now, bring it back down." Bale ordered.

Orion saw clear doubt cloud the girl's expression as she squinted hard at the ball. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then he saw the ball start to shudder.

"That's too much!" Bale barked at her. "Pull back!"

But it was too late. An instant later the ball exploded and tiny shreds of rubber rained down over them. Orion picked one off his lap and stretched it slightly.

"A balloon?" He asked, staring at Bale.

"A very effective learning tool when it comes to working on her control." Bale explained. "Simple, but highly effective."

Sitting in her chair, Becca looked about at the scattered shreds of the balloon with a dismal expression.

"Mr. Black's ball was a good deal sturdier." She remarked quietly.

"Yes, well, having you try to control a cannon ball floating in the air isn't going to net the same results, now is it?" Bale asked.

Becca slowly shook her head.

"All right then. Again." Bale stated. "And concentrate this time."

For the next half hour Orion watched the same routine play itself out several times. Each time with Becca becoming more and more disheartened and Bale losing a fraction more of his patience with her. It was a small wonder she had returned to the house so unhappy.

Giving a loud sigh, Bale thought for a moment before turning back to the girl. "Let's try something different." He said finally.

Becca's face lit up at the prospect of a different task. But the light quickly went out when she saw Bale conjure up a lightly glowing sphere.

"I thought you said something 'different'." She remarked glumly.

"Perhaps you should see what the exercise is before you judge it." Bale replied in an even tone.

Setting the glowing sphere before her, Bale sent it up to the ceiling and then just as easily brought it back down until it rested in front of her again, hanging suspended in the air.

"Now you." He stated.

Becca gave a dismal sigh but did as she was told. The sphere easily sailed up into the air until it nearly reached the ceiling, then just as easily returned to where it had hung before her.

"Do it again." Bale ordered.

Orion watched the process repeat three times before Bale changed the lesson.

"Do it again." He stated. "But this time we'll change the rules."

Becca eyed him for a moment, but did as she was told. The sphere dutifully sailed up to the ceiling. But when she attempted to retrieve it, the sphere stayed where it was, gently bobbing in the air near the rafters.

Frowning at it, Becca increased her pull on the sphere, but it refused to budge.

Glancing over at where he sat, Orion noted that Bale had his own attention now focused on the sphere as well.

"Bring the sphere back down, Becca." He told her, never once looking over at her but focusing his attention on where the sphere hung in the air.

""I'm trying!" She stated in a tone near to a despairing wail. "But it's fighting me."

"I'm fighting you." Bale replied. "And you're exerting far too much effort. Brute force will not win this for you. Lighten your hold and focus your magic on the sphere to get it back."

"But you're fighting me!" Becca stated again.

"I am trying to hold you in check. You're using far to much force. Now pull back!"

Becca now had a white knuckled grip on the arms of her chair. "I can't!"

"You aren't trying!"

"I am!!!"

But suddenly the sphere flared up in an expanding burst of light and dissolved.

Orion was sure the girl sitting next to him, staring up at where the sphere had been, was going to break into tears as bleak as she looked. If this was the way the lesson had gone the morning before he could better understand Becca's mood when she returned to the house.

"So what happened?" He asked, turning to Bale.

The 'Power' stared at the girl in the chair with a hard expression. "She was fighting too hard." He explained, turning finally to his agent. "The sphere had two magical forces focused on it. Both opposing each other. In order to regain control of the sphere, she needed to centralize her magical ability and focus it. Try something other than brute force to get the sphere away from me. In this case, she did not do as she was told and in such a situation, when the force exceeds a certain amount, the sphere disperses."

Before Orion could respond, a finger tapped him on the shoulder.

Turning around, Orion found Bo still standing placidly behind him.

"What?"

The boggart held up a finger, then glided over the floor until he came to stand in front of the fledgling 'Power'. Crouching down he tapped her lightly on her hands to get her attention.

Bale watched the display with a bored expression. "Now wha......?"

Orion quickly waved him down. "No. Let him go. Let's see what he has planned."

"Coddling isn't my preferred method of teaching, Mr. Black."

"Bo doesn't coddle either, Orin. But he does teach. And he does it very well. I can vouch for that and so can Sirius. We both learned from Bo. Let's give him a chance with Becca."

Patting her hands again, Bo pulled back slightly and suddenly pulled a large, brightly colored purple balloon from his robe's sleeve.

Becca gave the display a small smile as she reached out for the balloon. But at the last minute, Bo released it and the balloon started to float towards the ceiling. Becca watched it until Bo again patted her hands.

Becca watched as the boggart first pointed to the balloon hovering up at the ceiling, then to her, then to the balloon again.

Becca frowned at the obvious request, but just the same focused her attention on the balloon and attempted to bring it back down. But the balloon gave a slight shake as Becca's magic grabbed hold of it, descended a few inches, then disappeared with a loud pop.

Becca turned the same sad, dismal expression to the boggart, who quickly gave her hands a gentle pat, then quickly pulled another balloon from his robe's sleeve.

Again he released the balloon. But this time he gestured to Becca to try to retrieve it long before it reached the ceiling.

The results were exactly the same.

Consoling her with a gentle pat on the hands, Bo pulled another balloon from the sleeve of his robes and held it up in front of Becca. Releasing it, the balloon this time only went up a few feet, then stopped. Bo quickly pointed to the balloon.

With a sigh, Becca tried once more, with the exact same results.

"This is pointless." She said in a depressed tone. "I can't do it. And I don't even know why."

But the boggart stayed crouched in front of her, simply staring at her without making any other move. After a few moments past, he once more patted her on the hands.

Becca looked up at him. "What? Again?" She asked. "Don't you see I can't do this."

Bo ignored her statement and instead simply produced another balloon from the sleeve of his robe. This time, however, as he released the balloon to send it floating on its way up to the ceiling, a long purple ribbon trailed out of his robe sleeve after it. When the balloon's theater came to the end, Bo grabbed it in his cloth covered fingers and held on, allowing the balloon to go only so far up before he used the ribbon to pull it back down. He repeated the action several times, then handed the ribbon over to Becca. She watched as the boggart pointed to the balloon, then to the ribbon. When she didn't respond, he reached over and, placing his hand over her's pulled on the ribbon to make the balloon come back down a few feet. Becca stared at the balloon for several seconds, the gave the ribbon a tentative tug.

The balloon bounced at the end of its tether.

Frowning, Becca pulled on the ribbon a few more times, directing her attention between the ribbon and the reaction her pulls on it got from the balloon.

For several moments the exploration went on until Orion saw understanding suddenly light the girl's expression.

Letting go of the ribbon, Becca watched the balloon float towards the ceiling. But instead of reaching again for the ribbon, Becca instead held her arms up, directing her reach towards the escaping balloon.

Floating upwards, the balloon suddenly stopped midway and hung in the air as if it had bumped into a glass barrier. It bounced about in the air a few times before a delighted laugh rose up from underneath it and the balloon suddenly took off on a horizontal path, spinning around the room several times.

Within minutes it was breaking out of its fixed flight pattern and doing circles and loops in the air; all the while the young girl laughing beneath it as she guided it on its path.

Still sitting in his chair, leaned back now with his fingers steepled in front of him, Bale watched the display with a growing frown.

"All right." He said finally. "I'm game. What's the difference?"

A bright flash of dark light erupted next to the desk.

"You honestly don't know?" Matterson asked as wisps of smoke settled around him.

Bale turned to the other 'Power' with an equally deep frown. "Enlighten me then."

"She needed to feel it, Orin. Becca hasn't been in this realm that long."

"She's been here fifteen years." Bale replied, the frown still in place.

"And in those fifteen years, when has she ever used her magic like this? She needed to feel how the object she was trying to control felt. Becca may have been in this realm for fifteen years, but she has had woefully little experience with the outside world. And I doubt her 'keepers' ever allowed her to use her magic for much past what they wanted. She needs to experience things before she can learn to control them, Orin."

Bale gave a quiet sigh as he considered Eric's assessment of the situation. "All right." He said finally, watching his pupil happily bring the balloon down to hover between her hands as she smiled at it. "She needs training and she needs it with someone who seems to understand her needs." Bale turned to his agent, a small smile playing across his lips. "Mr. Black, your boggart has just volunteered to becomeWait a minute ... She is staying with Bo now? I thought she was supposed to get her own room now? I'm quite worried how this is going to work out.

Becca's new teacher."

****

Q&A

Silverfox:

****

Wait a minute ... She is staying with Bo now? I thought she was supposed to get her own room now? I'm quite worried how this is going to work out.

Well, technically it hasn't been even a whole day since Orion promised Bo to get Becca out of his cellar. We gotta give him at least a little bit of time to find a spare room and fix it up for her.

Also, keep in mind the age range you're dealing with here. I mean, how long does a three year old generally stay mad at someone? Granted, she did a REALLY big no-no. But Bo is a fairly forgiving sort.

Will Becca be leaving the cellar? That question is answered in the next chapter.

And remember;

I want to wish every one of my readers, old and new, a very merry Christmas and a blessed and happy holiday season. No matter what it means to you, may the spirit of the season bring you peace and joy.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.****

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: LIVING ARRANGEMENTS PART TWO (Of Chapter Thirty-Two)

Orion wasn't sure how Bo felt about having another student dropped on him. Much less one like Becca.

With Sirius, Bo had a very focused, motivated, cooperative student in Orion's younger brother.

Becca, Orion guessed, possessed few, if any, of those qualities. 'Focused', he doubted, was even in her vocabulary. He wasn't sure if she even knew how to spell 'motivated'. And 'cooperative' he wasn't even going to bother giving credence to. Leaving Bale's office with a quiet sigh, he reconciled himself to the fact he would just have to wait and see how the situation worked out.

But on one matter Orion felt he would be off to a good start in the area of solving two problems with one act. Becca had, regardless of how she arrived there, made a huge breakthrough in her training that morning. One that deserved some sort of reward.

Pairing that up with Bo wanting his cellar back, and Orion felt he had the perfect solution.

"All right, Becca." He explained once they were back at the estate and headed up the front stairs. "You did very well today. Orin was very pleased with your progress and said I should give you a reward for your hard work."

The girl happily followed behind him, still floating on her euphoric cloud over having mastered her lesson with the balloon.

"Even Eric was pleased with my magic today." She happily announced behind him. "He told me so before he left."

Orion paused just long enough to glance back at her before continuing up the stairs. Why the enigmatic Deatheater's approval meant so much to her he couldn't even begin to figure out. Around Bale she usually acted like at any moment she was expecting him to lash out at her. But the moment Eric had appeared in the room, he had become almost her sole center of attention. Granted, the other 'Power' was far more lavish with his praise and seemed to make a serious effort to find everything and anything he could to applaud her for.

And in line with what Orion felt was the general reaction of any female to that sort of attention, Becca lit up like a Christmas tree in response.

While with Bale, usually nothing short of perfection earned her much more than a raised eyebrow of approval.

Orion felt this was in part a large contributor to Becca's rather conspicuous lack of protest in the change in her teachers. And while Bale wasn't handing her training over to Bo entirely, her lessons with him would be significantly diminished.

At the top of the first flight of stairs, Orion directed the girl down the hallway and stopped outside of the first door they came to.

"All right, my girl." He stated, opening the door and stepping aside so she could see the room beyond. "This is the reward Katlin thought you would like best."

A stunned silence highlighted by two large eyes staring at the newly decorated room was all Orion needed to tell him Katlin couldn't have been more right.

Beyond the door was a beautifully decorated bedroom painted in a light blue with white trim. There was a light colored cherry dresser, a vanity table, two closets, a private bath, a desk, floor to ceiling windows covered by sheer white veils and hung with crystal blue curtains, and a floor covered in a plush pale blue carpet.

The focal point of the room was a large, cherry colored, four poster bed draped with the same sheer white veils that hung in the windows and covered with a comforter that matched the color of the walls.

In short, it was a fifteen year old girl's dream come true for a bedroom if his wife's assessment was anything to go by.

And from Becca's reaction, she had been right on the mark.

"This is all mine?" She asked in a breathless whisper, quickly turning to Orion. "I don't have to go back to the cellar?"

Orion simply shook his head, biting his tongue not to add that Bo's reaction to her leaving the cellar had been fairly much the same. "Can I take it then you like the room?" Was what he said instead.

"It's absolutely beautiful!" She stated in a breathless whisper. "I can't believe this is all mine."

"It's yours as long as you're here, Becca." Orion replied. "Now, you get settled and one of the house elves will call you for lunch."

As soon as Orion left, Becca began to walk around the room, examining all the things that had been placed in it supposedly, she guessed, for her use. Though half of the things she wasn't sure what they were for. The small bottles smelled nice, but she wasn't sure what their purpose was. And there were jars with creams and powders, and smaller containers with different colored powders in them. There were also several sticks of different colors in covered tubes. She had no idea what they were for. But she supposed in the morning she could ask Katlin.

In the drawer of the vanity table there were an assortment of clips and pins, a brush, a comb, and a large hand held mirror.

Going to the dresser, Becca found an assortment of clothes, half of which she had no idea what they were for. But whatever they were, she hoped they were something people wore and wore often. Many of them were sheer and so soft she could barely feel them against her hand. Others where just as soft, but of a thicker, less transparent cloth.

But it was the closets she loved the most. They were like two large boxes of gifts just waiting for her to go through them.

When she opened the doors to the first closet, she couldn't believe the sight that greeted her. Rows of clothes hung on bars before her and on either side. She had spent the better part of an hour just going through the array of brightly colored shirts and pants, hardly believing these all were for just her. But Mr. Black had said this was her room, and everything in it was her's also.

The second closet delighted her even more. There were several pairs of shoes, most the likes of which she had never even seen before. And like the first closet, there were bars hung with clothes. But unlike the first closet, this one contained dresses. So many different styles and colors she could hardly believe it. When she was with Heudros she had had only one thing to wear. Her simple, straight, grey shift. When it got dirty, Heudros simply replaced it with another. Her shoes were the same. A simple pair of neutral colored, flat shoes that were replaced when they wore out. But now she was staring into a multitude of styles and colors she had never imagined. Even the thirteen she had never seen wearing such things. Their manner of dress was always much like her own. Plain, simple cloths in neutral colors.

With a happy giggle, Becca swept out of the closet, closing the doors behind her. She couldn't wait for the morning when she could try on some of the things that hung in the closets.

A slight yawn didn't stifle her enthusiasm any, but did let her know that any further exploring was best left until the morning. But for now it was best to get ready for sleep, she acknowledged, happily turning about to face her large, inviting bed.

Walking over to it, she carefully seated herself on the edge of it. The comforter was as soft as a cloud and curtains hanging around it shimmered in the soft lighting of the room. She couldn't even begin to imagine people slept in such things. With Heudros, she had rarely even slept. It had seemed to her a waste of time, a not a pleasant one at that. She almost never had had dreams that she considered good dreams. Most of them either frightened her, leading her through the night on a wild chase to escape some faceless evil she never could identify, or they were simply confusing dreams involving a large white room and disembodied voices talking at her about things she didn't understand.

At first she had tried to talk to Heudros about her dreams, asking him if he could make sense of them for her. But he had hardly been patient about the subject matter and finally told her to simply ignore them. That dreams rarely made sense and if she didn't like them, then just don't sleep.

But tonight she could hardly wait to go to sleep. Surely this large, soft, beautiful bed invited nothing but good dreams. She had had a few of those in her time with Heudros. All of them involving her simply standing in a large open space, where the wind blew freely around her and she could stand there as long as she wanted, without anyone asking a single thing of her. That, to her, represented peace. No demands, no orders, no one yelling at her, or hitting her, or degrading and abasing her.

Just her and the wind and quiet peace.

Pulling off her shift, Becca headed into the bath adjoining her room. Another new experience for her. Even in Richard's house, her bath had been down the hallway. She had never had a room where the bath was just a walk though a doorway away.

Walking into the bathroom a soft glow instantly lit the area, and flames leapt to life on several sweet smelling candles. Becca nearly gasp at the sheer opulence of the room. Half the size of her bedroom, it was still larger than her room at the castle had been. And it wasn't cold at all, as most of the places she had spent her short life seemed to be. It was warm and comfortable and colored in the most beautiful shades of greens and whites. Looking around her, Becca's eyes quickly focused on the large sunken tub set to one side of the room. Next to it was a walk in shower encased in etched glass. And soft, fluffy green and white towels seemed to hang on almost every wall.

Becca quickly went over to the tub and turned on the taps, adjusting them to a suitable temperature.

For a while she simply watched as the water filled the large tub until her gaze drifted over to the counter around the sink opposite her. Sitting on the counter top was an array of small bottles, all with different colored liquids in them.

Getting up, she started at one end and went through the assortment, smelling each one in turn. They were like the ones on her vanity table, just a bit thinker in texture. But again, she had no idea what they were for.

With a sigh she set the last one back on the counter top. She was sure these things were there for her to use in some way. But she had no idea what for.

"Those are bath oils." A quiet voice answered her puzzled frown.

Turning quickly to the doorway of the bath, Becca jumped slightly at the sudden intrusion.

"I'm sorry to disturb you." Katlin said, remaining standing in the doorway. "I just came up to see if you needed anything."

The girl gave her a nervous smile. "Answers." She said.

Katlin returned a puzzled frown. "About what?"

Becca held up one of the colored liquids in it's bottle. "What is bath oil for?"

Katlin gave a small laugh. "You put it in your bath, Becca." She explained.

"But baths are to clean yourself." The girl replied. "Why rub oil all over yourself?"

"These oils are good for your skin." Katlin replied. "They also help sooth the body, ease tensions, and simply smell nice. Try one. You'll see."

Frowning at the suggestion, Becca dutifully emptied one of the containers in the tub.

"You enjoy your bath." Katlin said, watching the fledgling 'Power' carefully ease herself into the water. "When your done, I'll help you pick out something to wear to bed, all right?"

The girl gave a contented sigh in answer. Up to her neck now in the water, Becca swore she had just submerged her body into pure heaven. All around her the water seemed to come alive, gently working itself over her body in a soft, relaxing massage.

Katlin was right, oils in a bath were wonderful.

What seemed to her like only minutes later, someone was shaking her shoulder.

"You're going to get water-logged if you stay in there much longer." Katlin gently admonished her.

Pulling about, Becca shook her head slightly. "But it hasn't been that long."

"It's been over an hour." The Elite informed her. "I can see I'll have to tone down the potency of those oils until you're more use to them."

Becca ran her hand through the water. "But the water is still warm."

"Because Orion enchanted the tub." Katlin explained. "It keeps the water the same temperature as when you started. Now out you go. Finish up in here and lets get you to bed."

A few minutes later Becca found herself dressed in one of the soft, thicker materialed articles from the dresser drawer that Katlin explained was a night gown. A concept Becca had frowned at at first. Why undress for bed just to get dressed in something else? But her attitude quickly changed as Katlin helped her sort through the different night gowns in the drawer. They were all soft and beautiful. Some of them as pretty as the dresses in the closet. But Katlin had quickly pointed out that night gowns were for the bed room and not usually worn about the house like dresses. If she wanted to leave her room in a nightgown, Katlin explained, holding up another article of clothing, she would have to wear a robe. This one was, again, much like the dresses, but with an opening all the way down the front and a sash to hold it closed.

Becca had thought to ask about some of the other things she had encountered in the room that she had no idea what to do with, but she was already stifling several yawns. Though she rarely ever seemed to get tired, heavy draws on her magical abilities had always required several hours of sleep later.

"It's been a busy day for you." Katlin told her as she helped the girl settle into her bed. "Time for sleep now. Are you comfy?"

"Oh, I'm very comfy." A sudden, different voice cut Becca's own answer off.

Turning about quickly, Katlin already had her wand out and ready to fire off her first spell. But the blast that hit her sent her flying across the room and into the wall, where she collapsed to the floor.

Becca pulled up in the bed, staring with wide, fear filled eyes at the figure standing in the doorway.

"Oh, honestly, Becca." Richard drawled out. "Did you really think you could run and hide from me forever?"

Becca only scooted up against the headboard, pulling as far back as she could from the approaching figure.

"What?" The other 'Power' ask, fanning out his arms as he walked into the room. "Surprised to see me? Did you really think I couldn't find you?"

Becca pulled her knees up in front of her.

A soft moan from the opposite wall caused both of them to turn to it. Katlin still lay on the floor, but now a pile of dark robes was crouched over her, carefully running its hand gently over her hair. But when Richard turned to it, the boggart seemed in a flash to disappear and rematerialize, now standing between the other 'Power' and Katlin, a soft growl coming from under it's hooded head.

Richard regarded the boggart like an irritating child begging for attention.

"Oh go away." He told the tower of dark robes. "I haven't time to waste with you."

A different voice answered him from the doorway. "Then perhaps you'd care to block off some of that valuable time in your busy schedule for me?"

Turning around in surprise, Richard found himself facing Orion, a ball of bright white light held easily between the Auror's two hands.

Before the 'Power' could even react, a streak of light shot out from the glowing sphere and hit him directly in the chest.

With a shriek of pain, the 'Power' disappeared.

Orion quickly sprinted over to where his wife lay, just beginning to pull herself up. But Katlin quickly waved him off. "I'm fine!" She stated. "Just make sure everyone else is."

Orion turned towards Becca as he helped Katlin slowly to her feet. "Becca? Are you all right?" He asked.

Although the girl quickly nodded, Katlin shoved past him as she more or less stumbled over to the bed. "Of course she's not all right, Orion." She stated, barely stopping herself from falling on the edge of the bed as she sat next to the girl, who immediately launched herself into Katlin's arms. "She's bound to be terrified from that maniac's attack."

Orion watched for a moment as Katlin set into comforting the frightened girl, then turned his attention to the tower of dark robes still standing silently in the middle of the room.

"Bo!" He demanded, causing the boggart to turn quickly to him. "How did that.....that person get into the house?"

"Richard!" Becca suddenly cried out, still held in Katlin's protective embrace. "That was Richard!"

Orion turned to her, then quickly back to Bo. "How did he get in this house, Bo?" Orion asked in a low, controlled voice.

The boggart seemed to consider the question for longer than Orion thought was reasonably necessary. Never a good sign. But finally the boggart made a small gesture in front of him, quickly folding his arm back under the other in front of him again.

Orion nearly leapt at the boggart. "What do you mean 'You let him in'?" He all but yelled at him. "For what possible reason?!"

The boggart pulled back slightly, quickly gesturing in front of himself again.

Orion stared blankly at the area where the boggart had made the gesture. "Because you wanted to see what he was like?" He asked finally, his stare slowly traveling up the front of the boggart's robes to his hood covered face. "You let a potentially deadly maniac in my house....all because you wanted to see what he was like?"

"Orion." Katlin stated quickly, still sitting with Becca on the bed. "He didn't know."

Orion turned to her, but quickly snapped his attention immediately back to the boggart. "Then that is all the more reason not to let him in!" Orion yelled at the tower of dark robes. "Not only did you put my wife at risk, allowing this maniac to attack her, but what if he had managed to get control of Becca again? Taking her out of this house? We may never have found them again!"

Standing silently in front of his diatribe, the boggart suddenly disappeared.

"Now you've upset him." Katlin stated, turning a heated stare at him. "He didn't know, Orion. To him Richard was just.....another 'Power'. Another of his own kind. Maybe Bo just wanted to meet him. See what he was like, like he said."

Orion turned an equally heated stare back to her. "Well, now he knows, doesn't he?" He replied flatly.

"Is he coming back?" A frightened voice ask from the shelter of Katlin's arms.

Katlin quickly turned her attention to the girl. "No, love, he's not coming back. Bo knows now that Richard isn't a friend. He won't let him back in the house. Not now. Not ever. You're perfectly safe here."

But the stare she met with from her husband didn't give her declaration much hope.

"That one has power, Katlin." Orion told her in a quiet level voice. "And he has a lot of it."

"But you forced him out of the house." She stated hopefully.

"This time. And only with Bo's help. And I had surprise on my side this time. He may not have known about Bo. Next time, he will come better prepared."

Katlin stared up at him. "What makes you think he'll come back?"

Orion nodded to the girl still housed in the shelter of Katlin's arms. "Because he didn't get what he came for."

Becca looked up at the Auror. "He wants my power, not me." She said. "He said all he wants is my magic. And once he has it, I won't exist anymore."

Orion sighed as he stared down at the frightened girl. "Don't plan on sleeping late tomorrow." He told her. "Because first thing in the morning, we're going to have a family meeting."

Reviews, if there were any, would have been of 1/3/2010.

And remember;

A very Happy New Year to all my readers. May the new year bring you peace and joy.


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

****

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX: FAMILY MATTERS

Early the next morning Orion sat in Bale's office once more. But this time his superior was flanked by his secretary and Eric Matterson.

"This is becoming something of a habit, Mr. Black." Bale stated. "One day and already you're having problems?"

"This isn't your average problem." Orion replied.

Next to him Becca sat in her chair staring intently at the floor as though it were currently the most interesting thing in her life.

"Is there some problem with our Becca?"

"In a manner of speaking." Orion answered. "But the problem isn't of her making. Last night at the estate we had an unexpected visitor."

"And this 'unexpected visitor', I take it, was the problem?"

"This unexpected visitor was Richard."

Whatever expectation Orion had from his statement, he couldn't have gotten less of one. All three 'Power's' simply continued to stare at him as thought they were waiting for whatever else he was going to add,

"And that's it?" Bale finally asked. "That is what you asked me to call us all here for this morning? Because this irritating child came to your house last night and....did what? Frightened Becca?"

"He attacked my wife!" Orion stated, nearly coming out of his chair.

Bale's eyebrows rose. "He attacked Katlin? That was a rather brave move for him. Foolish, but brave. And so now what? You want us to come clean up whatever small pieces Katlin left?"

"Far from it." Orion replied. "He caught her off guard. If Bo hadn't alerted me to the attack, he might have killed her before he was done. Just as he was planning to kill Becca."

"Kill?" Connie spoke up suddenly, concern etching her voice. "He was going to kill Becca?"

The girl looked up and quickly nodded at the statuesque woman standing next to Bale's chair. "The last time I was with him, Richard said he was going to drain my power. My magic. He said he needed it to attack the elder."

Connie frowned at the comment. "Elder? What elder?"

Becca shook her head. "He never said his name. Only that he needed more power....more magic than he had to attack the elder. To steal his power from him also."

"Well, he's never going to get that far." Bale replied steepling his fingers in front of him. "Very well, Mr. Black. Since this Richard is causing problems, I suppose he will have to be dealt with. The three of us will confer on what we know about him, and, of course, see if Becca can add anything to what we already know, giving us a larger picture of what we may be up against, and then, once we have all the facts...........,

"Oh honestly, Orin." Connie stated with a smug smile. "You make things so complicated. He's an irritating child. He need only be dealt with as such." And with that she disappeared.

"Connie!" Bale yelled at now vacant space. "Connie! Come back here! Now!"

Eric stood next to him, watching for Connie's reappearance. "She has always been far to impetuous." He stated. "I'll go have a talk with her."

Bale nodded as Eric disapparated in a brief flash of dark light.

"And now what?" Orion asked, seated now in the office with just Becca and his superior.

"Eric will go talk to Connie." Bale replied, pulling a file out of his drawer and laying it on his desk. "After that, likely they will go together to seek out this Richard. And that should be the end of the matter."

"That's it?" Orion asked. "The two of them against him?"

Bale looked up at his agent. "Mr. Black, I have not lived as long as I have in this realm by being careless. Nor by leaving untidy matters laying around to cause me problems. None of us have."

"And I faced this 'irritating child', as your lot calls him. And I am here to tell you, Orin, I have never felt power like this before."

"Connie and Eric are not fools, Mr. Black. And I have ever confidence that they can deal with this matter without my help. But should they need it, I am only a call away for them. Now, if there was nothing else, I believe my next appointment is waiting for me."

Orion got up, indicating for Becca to follow him. Which she did in the same way a puppy would follow it's owner. A trait that was seriously getting on Orion's nerves. The girl never walked next to you, or just slightly behind. She was always practically plastered to the side of whoever she was with, or practically cowering behind them, just waiting for whatever unpleasantness the world was going to throw at her next. All in all, Orion was having a very hard time reconciling the girl who was presently creeping along behind him with the young woman he had faced in the magical corridor just a few weeks before. Becca may have been Heudros magical support system, but he equally appeared to have been her ego. And without him, Orion was having a great deal of difficulty seeing her as much less than a frightened mouse, just waiting for the cat to come along.

Well, no time like the present to try and correct behavior.

"Becca," Orion said, gesturing next to him, "come walk next to me, not behind me."

The girl looked up at him. "Why?"

"Because you're not my dog." He replied. "You're a person in your own right now. But you follow people around like your their valet or something. All that's missing is you bowing a scraping and asking if you can do anything for them. You have to act more like......like you're just like anyone else. Not like you've been someone's servant for the past 15 years."

The girl considered the statement, then slowly brought herself alongside Orion as they walked. But Orion couldn't help but notice she still practically crept along the corridor.

Oh well. One step at a time. Position today, posture tomorrow.

* * *

Apparating to where Becca's castle once stood, Connie stood staring at the pile of rubble for several moments.

"My, my, but someone did have a temper tantrum." She tsked at the stones. "No wonder Orin is so interested in you, little one."

Shaking her head slightly, Connie finally brushed several of her long, brown strands back from her face, taking in the area around her again.

"Now," she asked softly, looking around at the fallen stones, "where are you, little boy. Why don't you come out so we can have a nice chat?"

Around her a soft breeze blew through the tree tops, gently rustling the leaves overhead. But nothing else seemed to move. Something that caused Connie's brow to furrow.

Where were the birds? Or the animals? She couldn't hear so much as a cricket in the forest. Surely something wasn't right.

"And now who might you be?" A voice suddenly asked from behind her.

Connie turned around with her ever present grace to find herself facing a young man of about twenty-five by his appearance.

"Here all I usually ever catch in this net is Becca, who for whatever reason can't seem to stay away from this pile of rubble, or that irritating Mr. Black. But now here it appears I have a new fish swimming in the waters. And such a pretty one."

Connie stared at the young man for several moments. The boy was arrogant. But he also had his share of power. She would have to be careful.

"You, I take it," she purred at him, "are Richard?"

The other 'Power' ticked a finger in front of him. "Oh no. I asked first."

"My name is Connie." She replied in a casual tone. "I am Orin Bale's sister."

"Orin Bale's sister!?" The boy echoed, the excitement in his tone peaking instantly. "Well, this is an unexpected pleasure! Here I expected to never meet anyone out here of any more significance than Mr. Black. And yet here I have the sister of Orin Bale." The boy's eyebrows quickly came together. "Who in the name of magic is Orin Bale?"

Connie casually lifted one eyebrow. "Head of the Unspeakables maybe?"

Richard considered the information. "That irritating little group of men Mr. Black belongs to? You mean to say they actually have a leader?"

Connie gave the boy a deeply disapproving look.

"Well, if he's their leader, I can't say he's anyone I'd have taken much notice of."

"You'd do well to guard that tongue, boy." Connie advised him. "Less the wrong people hear you wagging your insults about with it about."

"And who might those wrong people be?" The boy asked. "Yourself and this 'Orin Bale'? Anyone else?"

Connie mimicked the boy's ticking finger. "Oh no. I've answered your question. Perhaps now you answer mine?"

The boy gave her an exaggerated, low bow. "Indeed, my dear lady, I am Richard. The poor, misunderstood youth of whom I am sure my dear, misguided sister has been telling some very unsavory tales."

Connie stared hard back at the boy. "Sister? Becca is no sister to you, boy."

"Ah, but as that we were called by the same wizard, that makes us family of sorts."

"Becca seems to feel very differently about the matter. For she has indeed had very little good to say about her 'brother'. Now why would she be doing that?"

A nervous smile played across Richard's lips. But he quickly hid it. "Becca and I had a.....disagreement before she left. She was very angry with me."

"People trying to kill you will do that." Connie stated sharply.

Richard gave the statuesque woman another nervous smile. "Is that what she said? Now, you see................"

But Connie quickly pointed a finger at the boy before her. "No. You see, Richard. Becca has a new family now. One that genuinely cares for her. And one that I assure you, will protect her. Come near her again, and you will suffer for it, I promise you that."

The boy had fallen to studying the woman before him. "Oh, I don't think you need worry about that anymore." He practically purred at her.

"Really?" Connie asked. Skepticism lacing the word. "That is a rather sudden turn around. Might I ask what caused it?"

The boy seemed to give the request serious consideration. "No. You may not." He replied finally and, with a sharp turn, began walking away from her.

Connie's brows came down in a deep, straight line as she gave the boy's retreating back a sneer. "Why you arrogant little......."

A single step forward, and the world went black.

* * *

Several hours later Orin sat in his office as a bolt of black light erupted in front of his desk. Although the strike looked for all the world to be enough to have taken out most of his office area, not so much as a paper sitting on the front edge was disturbed by the sudden violent explosion.

"Did you find her?" Orin asked the figure standing in the aftermath of the strike.

"No." Came the solemn answer.

Orin sighed as he leaned over his desk, a pen held tightly in his fingers as he looked up at his brother. "I'm worried about her this time, Eric. Black said this child has power. A great deal of it. Connie may have bitten off a great deal more than she can chew this time."

The other 'Power' stared down at his brother, concern etched in his face even as he tried to mask it. "We'll find her, Orin." He stated evenly. "We'll find her."

* * *

Connie shook her head as she tried to clear it. Whatever the other 'Power' had hit her with, it had been a great deal more than a simple stunning spell.

"Not pleasant, is it?" Came an all too familiar voice.

Connie lifted her head, finding herself staring at the insolent boy crouched outside the glowing green bars, a smile etched across his face that made her itch to reach through the bars and physically remove it.

"Oh, you are a prize," The boy practically sang out his triumph. "I couldn't have asked for anything better than to have had someone like you come to the castle, apparating so close to one of my wards that you were practically inside of it already, but too close to feel it. But you obviously were starting to notice something. The lack of sound maybe? I was hoping to be able to just stay in hiding and watch you walk into it the rest of the way. But you were getting suspicious and so I had to distract you somehow. All I had to do was get you to take one, small step......and here we are."

Connie looked about herself again. The green glowing bars seemed to form a solid cage around her.

"A small word of warning." Richard stated, watching her take in her surroundings. "I wouldn't touch those bars. They pack a nasty surprise."

Connie stared hard at the green glowing pillar in front of her. Carefully she balanced herself on one hand and reached out the other to the bar.

Instantly a sharp shock raced up her arm, causing her to pull back quickly.

Richard quickly pulled back to his feet. "Why is it everyone must do that!?" He stated sharply. "Becca didn't believe me either." He told her in the same sharp tone. "And she got the same punishment for not listening to me."

"So Becca was telling the truth." Connie said in a low, pained voice. "You locked her in a cell and tried to take her magic from her."

"Is that what she told you!?" Richard asked incredulously. "Is that what she told you I was going to do to her!?" The boy gave a sudden, small giggle. "Yes, that's pretty much right. But you needn't worry about her, because you see, I don't need her anymore."

Connie looked up at him.

"Because now I have you."

Connie shook her head again. Why couldn't she shake off this spell? Magic rarely effected her like this. She controlled it better than that.

"A little magical working of my own device." Richard answered her unspoken question. "You have to admit, for something to effect us, it has to pack a little more than the average punch, no?"

Connie gathered up her strength. "I'll give you more than the average punch." She stated venomously. Launching herself at the glowing bars, she seized hold of them, intent on ripping her way through them in order to get at her intended victim. But as soon as she touched the bars, a shock of power grabbed her in a painful grip.

A scream of pain echoed through the chamber. Pushing back, Connie managed to free herself from the bars, landing in an undignified heap on the dirt floor near the back of the cell.

A roaring laugh served to further add to her feelings of indignation.

"You find something funny, boy?" She ask in a acid tone.

The laughter died down to a slight giggle. "Yes. You." Came the snorted answer. "You honestly believed you could have gotten past those bars? Great magic, but you are arrogant bastards."

"Oh, there is a bastard among us, all right." Connie answered. "But I would hold judgment yet as to who claims that title."

"Such loving sentiments, dear sister."

Connie sneered through the bars at the other 'Power'. "Keep your filthy claims of kinship from including me." She replied.

"Oh, but we are family, dear sister." Richard stated. "For you state that Becca is your sister now also. And since she was my sister first, that makes us all family now. And I can't tell you how eager I am to meet my 'brother'."

"I wouldn't be so eager for that meeting, boy. For he likely won't show you any more familial mercy than I will while I am listening to your screams as I rip your body apart."

The 'Power' smirked at her through the bars. "I'm glad to hear it." He replied, pointing a finger at her through the bars of the cell.

Connie collapsed back to the floor with a scream of agony as the pain tore through her body.

"Because nor shall I." Richard stated.

Connie gathered her reserves about her and forced herself to her feet as the pain subsided. But no sooner had she regained her footing than another strike hit her, slamming her into the bars behind her. A searing pain raced through her body, giving her no time to recover before the next hit forced her to the ground.

"And that's just a very small taste of the fun we shall have." A voice spoke through the haze of pain to her. "Before I drain your magic from you and leave you with literally.....nothing."

With the last of her strength, Connie pulled her body up and threw herself at the bars and, ignoring the pain coursing through every inch of her body, she pressed her face to the bars and sneered at the creature on the other side.

"You'll die......begging me to kill you." She promised him. "Orin will give you to me as a toy to play with when I complain of boredom."

Connie had the small satisfaction of watching the other take a step back from the bars. But he quickly mask his apprehension behind the usual haughty look. Raising his hand, a streak of light shot out and caught her in the stomach, sending her hurling back to the furthest wall again in a crumpled heap.

"Continue to attack these bars and you'll save me the trouble of killing you." He told her. "Because they'll do the work for me."

And with that final warning he turned and left the chamber.

Laying on the floor, Connie slowly let her body collapse to the cold dirt, tears finally streaming down her face as she rested her head against her arm.

"Oh, brothers," she whispered in an urgent plea, "do not leave me here. Do not leave me at the mercy of this pitiless child. Help me. Oh please, help me."

****

Q&A

Silverfox

****

Pst, a bit of my review somehow inserted itself into the Orin's last sentence.  
And sorry for not reviewing last time. I didn't get my ChapterAlert ... *glares at site*  
I love Bo proving that he's a better teacher than Orin. How did Richard find Becca, though? Bo didn't deliberately lure him in for inspection, did he?

I know, Dear. And I have no explanation for it. Nor can I explain or have I found a solution for why 1) if I simply copy a chapter over from my disk all the punctuation disappears, or 2) when I copy the chapter off the disk and then paste it into the word document program on Document Manager it pastes it in duplicate, with the first copy being in bold type.

I will fix that incident with Orin's last sentence one day, though.

Every now and then Bo likes to remind people that he's not as dumb as they may think. Problem is, half the time they don't get the message.

Oh, how I love that last question! And because I love it so much, I'm going to give you outright straight answers on it.

How did Richard find Becca? Just the way you speculated, Dear. Bo 'lured him in'. He had exactly what Richard wanted. Becca. So he simply let down the shields around her so Richard would be able to find her.

Now, 'why' would Bo have done that? Especially when it put several people at risk? Well, because Bo is, for all his magical power, still basically a three year old. And he didn't see all the potential for the problem clearly enough. And curiosity is a dangerous thing sometimes. Bo did, in fact, lure Richard in. Simply because he wanted to 'get a feel for him'. Bo's Channeler indicated this new 'Power' was a danger. He heard the others talk about him, say he was dangerous, and a threat to Becca. So Bo, being a good home security system, decided the best offense was a good defense, and let Richard into the house so he could get a feel for him. Should Richard try to come back to the house, he might find things a bit more.....difficult than the last time.

All reviews are as of 1/17/2010.

And remember;

Living wage: twice what you make.

:: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer

: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

****

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX: FAMILY MATTERS

Early the next morning Orion sat in Bale's office once more. But this time his superior was flanked by his secretary and Eric Matterson.

"This is becoming something of a habit, Mr. Black." Bale stated. "One day and already you're having problems?"

"This isn't your average problem." Orion replied.

Next to him Becca sat in her chair staring intently at the floor as though it were currently the most interesting thing in her life.

"Is there some problem with our Becca?"

"In a manner of speaking." Orion answered. "But the problem isn't of her making. Last night at the estate we had an unexpected visitor."

"And this 'unexpected visitor', I take it, was the problem?"

"This unexpected visitor was Richard."

Whatever expectation Orion had from his statement, he couldn't have gotten less of one. All three 'Power's' simply continued to stare at him as thought they were waiting for whatever else he was going to add,

"And that's it?" Bale finally asked. "That is what you asked me to call us all here for this morning? Because this irritating child came to your house last night and....did what? Frightened Becca?"

"He attacked my wife!" Orion stated, nearly coming out of his chair.

Bale's eyebrows rose. "He attacked Katlin? That was a rather brave move for him. Foolish, but brave. And so now what? You want us to come clean up whatever small pieces Katlin left?"

"Far from it." Orion replied. "He caught her off guard. If Bo hadn't alerted me to the attack, he might have killed her before he was done. Just as he was planning to kill Becca."

"Kill?" Connie spoke up suddenly, concern etching her voice. "He was going to kill Becca?"

The girl looked up and quickly nodded at the statuesque woman standing next to Bale's chair. "The last time I was with him, Richard said he was going to drain my power. My magic. He said he needed it to attack the elder."

Connie frowned at the comment. "Elder? What elder?"

Becca shook her head. "He never said his name. Only that he needed more power....more magic than he had to attack the elder. To steal his power from him also."

"Well, he's never going to get that far." Bale replied steepling his fingers in front of him. "Very well, Mr. Black. Since this Richard is causing problems, I suppose he will have to be dealt with. The three of us will confer on what we know about him, and, of course, see if Becca can add anything to what we already know, giving us a larger picture of what we may be up against, and then, once we have all the facts...........,

"Oh honestly, Orin." Connie stated with a smug smile. "You make things so complicated. He's an irritating child. He need only be dealt with as such." And with that she disappeared.

"Connie!" Bale yelled at now vacant space. "Connie! Come back here! Now!"

Eric stood next to him, watching for Connie's reappearance. "She has always been far to impetuous." He stated. "I'll go have a talk with her."

Bale nodded as Eric disapparated in a brief flash of dark light.

"And now what?" Orion asked, seated now in the office with just Becca and his superior.

"Eric will go talk to Connie." Bale replied, pulling a file out of his drawer and laying it on his desk. "After that, likely they will go together to seek out this Richard. And that should be the end of the matter."

"That's it?" Orion asked. "The two of them against him?"

Bale looked up at his agent. "Mr. Black, I have not lived as long as I have in this realm by being careless. Nor by leaving untidy matters laying around to cause me problems. None of us have."

"And I faced this 'irritating child', as your lot calls him. And I am here to tell you, Orin, I have never felt power like this before."

"Connie and Eric are not fools, Mr. Black. And I have ever confidence that they can deal with this matter without my help. But should they need it, I am only a call away for them. Now, if there was nothing else, I believe my next appointment is waiting for me."

Orion got up, indicating for Becca to follow him. Which she did in the same way a puppy would follow it's owner. A trait that was seriously getting on Orion's nerves. The girl never walked next to you, or just slightly behind. She was always practically plastered to the side of whoever she was with, or practically cowering behind them, just waiting for whatever unpleasantness the world was going to throw at her next. All in all, Orion was having a very hard time reconciling the girl who was presently creeping along behind him with the young woman he had faced in the magical corridor just a few weeks before. Becca may have been Heudros magical support system, but he equally appeared to have been her ego. And without him, Orion was having a great deal of difficulty seeing her as much less than a frightened mouse, just waiting for the cat to come along.

Well, no time like the present to try and correct behavior.

"Becca," Orion said, gesturing next to him, "come walk next to me, not behind me."

The girl looked up at him. "Why?"

"Because you're not my dog." He replied. "You're a person in your own right now. But you follow people around like your their valet or something. All that's missing is you bowing a scraping and asking if you can do anything for them. You have to act more like......like you're just like anyone else. Not like you've been someone's servant for the past 15 years."

The girl considered the statement, then slowly brought herself alongside Orion as they walked. But Orion couldn't help but notice she still practically crept along the corridor.

Oh well. One step at a time. Position today, posture tomorrow.

* * *

Apparating to where Becca's castle once stood, Connie stood staring at the pile of rubble for several moments.

"My, my, but someone did have a temper tantrum." She tsked at the stones. "No wonder Orin is so interested in you, little one."

Shaking her head slightly, Connie finally brushed several of her long, brown strands back from her face, taking in the area around her again.

"Now," she asked softly, looking around at the fallen stones, "where are you, little boy. Why don't you come out so we can have a nice chat?"

Around her a soft breeze blew through the tree tops, gently rustling the leaves overhead. But nothing else seemed to move. Something that caused Connie's brow to furrow.

Where were the birds? Or the animals? She couldn't hear so much as a cricket in the forest. Surely something wasn't right.

"And now who might you be?" A voice suddenly asked from behind her.

Connie turned around with her ever present grace to find herself facing a young man of about twenty-five by his appearance.

"Here all I usually ever catch in this net is Becca, who for whatever reason can't seem to stay away from this pile of rubble, or that irritating Mr. Black. But now here it appears I have a new fish swimming in the waters. And such a pretty one."

Connie stared at the young man for several moments. The boy was arrogant. But he also had his share of power. She would have to be careful.

"You, I take it," she purred at him, "are Richard?"

The other 'Power' ticked a finger in front of him. "Oh no. I asked first."

"My name is Connie." She replied in a casual tone. "I am Orin Bale's sister."

"Orin Bale's sister!?" The boy echoed, the excitement in his tone peaking instantly. "Well, this is an unexpected pleasure! Here I expected to never meet anyone out here of any more significance than Mr. Black. And yet here I have the sister of Orin Bale." The boy's eyebrows quickly came together. "Who in the name of magic is Orin Bale?"

Connie casually lifted one eyebrow. "Head of the Unspeakables maybe?"

Richard considered the information. "That irritating little group of men Mr. Black belongs to? You mean to say they actually have a leader?"

Connie gave the boy a deeply disapproving look.

"Well, if he's their leader, I can't say he's anyone I'd have taken much notice of."

"You'd do well to guard that tongue, boy." Connie advised him. "Less the wrong people hear you wagging your insults about with it about."

"And who might those wrong people be?" The boy asked. "Yourself and this 'Orin Bale'? Anyone else?"

Connie mimicked the boy's ticking finger. "Oh no. I've answered your question. Perhaps now you answer mine?"

The boy gave her an exaggerated, low bow. "Indeed, my dear lady, I am Richard. The poor, misunderstood youth of whom I am sure my dear, misguided sister has been telling some very unsavory tales."

Connie stared hard back at the boy. "Sister? Becca is no sister to you, boy."

"Ah, but as that we were called by the same wizard, that makes us family of sorts."

"Becca seems to feel very differently about the matter. For she has indeed had very little good to say about her 'brother'. Now why would she be doing that?"

A nervous smile played across Richard's lips. But he quickly hid it. "Becca and I had a.....disagreement before she left. She was very angry with me."

"People trying to kill you will do that." Connie stated sharply.

Richard gave the statuesque woman another nervous smile. "Is that what she said? Now, you see................"

But Connie quickly pointed a finger at the boy before her. "No. You see, Richard. Becca has a new family now. One that genuinely cares for her. And one that I assure you, will protect her. Come near her again, and you will suffer for it, I promise you that."

The boy had fallen to studying the woman before him. "Oh, I don't think you need worry about that anymore." He practically purred at her.

"Really?" Connie asked. Skepticism lacing the word. "That is a rather sudden turn around. Might I ask what caused it?"

The boy seemed to give the request serious consideration. "No. You may not." He replied finally and, with a sharp turn, began walking away from her.

Connie's brows came down in a deep, straight line as she gave the boy's retreating back a sneer. "Why you arrogant little......."

A single step forward, and the world went black.

* * *

Several hours later Orin sat in his office as a bolt of black light erupted in front of his desk. Although the strike looked for all the world to be enough to have taken out most of his office area, not so much as a paper sitting on the front edge was disturbed by the sudden violent explosion.

"Did you find her?" Orin asked the figure standing in the aftermath of the strike.

"No." Came the solemn answer.

Orin sighed as he leaned over his desk, a pen held tightly in his fingers as he looked up at his brother. "I'm worried about her this time, Eric. Black said this child has power. A great deal of it. Connie may have bitten off a great deal more than she can chew this time."

The other 'Power' stared down at his brother, concern etched in his face even as he tried to mask it. "We'll find her, Orin." He stated evenly. "We'll find her."

* * *

Connie shook her head as she tried to clear it. Whatever the other 'Power' had hit her with, it had been a great deal more than a simple stunning spell.

"Not pleasant, is it?" Came an all too familiar voice.

Connie lifted her head, finding herself staring at the insolent boy crouched outside the glowing green bars, a smile etched across his face that made her itch to reach through the bars and physically remove it.

"Oh, you are a prize," The boy practically sang out his triumph. "I couldn't have asked for anything better than to have had someone like you come to the castle, apparating so close to one of my wards that you were practically inside of it already, but too close to feel it. But you obviously were starting to notice something. The lack of sound maybe? I was hoping to be able to just stay in hiding and watch you walk into it the rest of the way. But you were getting suspicious and so I had to distract you somehow. All I had to do was get you to take one, small step......and here we are."

Connie looked about herself again. The green glowing bars seemed to form a solid cage around her.

"A small word of warning." Richard stated, watching her take in her surroundings. "I wouldn't touch those bars. They pack a nasty surprise."

Connie stared hard at the green glowing pillar in front of her. Carefully she balanced herself on one hand and reached out the other to the bar.

Instantly a sharp shock raced up her arm, causing her to pull back quickly.

Richard quickly pulled back to his feet. "Why is it everyone must do that!?" He stated sharply. "Becca didn't believe me either." He told her in the same sharp tone. "And she got the same punishment for not listening to me."

"So Becca was telling the truth." Connie said in a low, pained voice. "You locked her in a cell and tried to take her magic from her."

"Is that what she told you!?" Richard asked incredulously. "Is that what she told you I was going to do to her!?" The boy gave a sudden, small giggle. "Yes, that's pretty much right. But you needn't worry about her, because you see, I don't need her anymore."

Connie looked up at him.

"Because now I have you."

Connie shook her head again. Why couldn't she shake off this spell? Magic rarely effected her like this. She controlled it better than that.

"A little magical working of my own device." Richard answered her unspoken question. "You have to admit, for something to effect us, it has to pack a little more than the average punch, no?"

Connie gathered up her strength. "I'll give you more than the average punch." She stated venomously. Launching herself at the glowing bars, she seized hold of them, intent on ripping her way through them in order to get at her intended victim. But as soon as she touched the bars, a shock of power grabbed her in a painful grip.

A scream of pain echoed through the chamber. Pushing back, Connie managed to free herself from the bars, landing in an undignified heap on the dirt floor near the back of the cell.

A roaring laugh served to further add to her feelings of indignation.

"You find something funny, boy?" She ask in a acid tone.

The laughter died down to a slight giggle. "Yes. You." Came the snorted answer. "You honestly believed you could have gotten past those bars? Great magic, but you are arrogant bastards."

"Oh, there is a bastard among us, all right." Connie answered. "But I would hold judgment yet as to who claims that title."

"Such loving sentiments, dear sister."

Connie sneered through the bars at the other 'Power'. "Keep your filthy claims of kinship from including me." She replied.

"Oh, but we are family, dear sister." Richard stated. "For you state that Becca is your sister now also. And since she was my sister first, that makes us all family now. And I can't tell you how eager I am to meet my 'brother'."

"I wouldn't be so eager for that meeting, boy. For he likely won't show you any more familial mercy than I will while I am listening to your screams as I rip your body apart."

The 'Power' smirked at her through the bars. "I'm glad to hear it." He replied, pointing a finger at her through the bars of the cell.

Connie collapsed back to the floor with a scream of agony as the pain tore through her body.

"Because nor shall I." Richard stated.

Connie gathered her reserves about her and forced herself to her feet as the pain subsided. But no sooner had she regained her footing than another strike hit her, slamming her into the bars behind her. A searing pain raced through her body, giving her no time to recover before the next hit forced her to the ground.

"And that's just a very small taste of the fun we shall have." A voice spoke through the haze of pain to her. "Before I drain your magic from you and leave you with literally.....nothing."

With the last of her strength, Connie pulled her body up and threw herself at the bars and, ignoring the pain coursing through every inch of her body, she pressed her face to the bars and sneered at the creature on the other side.

"You'll die......begging me to kill you." She promised him. "Orin will give you to me as a toy to play with when I complain of boredom."

Connie had the small satisfaction of watching the other take a step back from the bars. But he quickly mask his apprehension behind the usual haughty look. Raising his hand, a streak of light shot out and caught her in the stomach, sending her hurling back to the furthest wall again in a crumpled heap.

"Continue to attack these bars and you'll save me the trouble of killing you." He told her. "Because they'll do the work for me."

And with that final warning he turned and left the chamber.

Laying on the floor, Connie slowly let her body collapse to the cold dirt, tears finally streaming down her face as she rested her head against her arm.

"Oh, brothers," she whispered in an urgent plea, "do not leave me here. Do not leave me at the mercy of this pitiless child. Help me. Oh please, help me."

****

Q&A

Silverfox

****

Pst, a bit of my review somehow inserted itself into the Orin's last sentence.  
And sorry for not reviewing last time. I didn't get my ChapterAlert ... *glares at site*  
I love Bo proving that he's a better teacher than Orin. How did Richard find Becca, though? Bo didn't deliberately lure him in for inspection, did he?

I know, Dear. And I have no explanation for it. Nor can I explain or have I found a solution for why 1) if I simply copy a chapter over from my disk all the punctuation disappears, or 2) when I copy the chapter off the disk and then paste it into the word document program on Document Manager it pastes it in duplicate, with the first copy being in bold type.

I will fix that incident with Orin's last sentence one day, though.

Every now and then Bo likes to remind people that he's not as dumb as they may think. Problem is, half the time they don't get the message.

Oh, how I love that last question! And because I love it so much, I'm going to give you outright straight answers on it.

How did Richard find Becca? Just the way you speculated, Dear. Bo 'lured him in'. He had exactly what Richard wanted. Becca. So he simply let down the shields around her so Richard would be able to find her.

Now, 'why' would Bo have done that? Especially when it put several people at risk? Well, because Bo is, for all his magical power, still basically a three year old. And he didn't see all the potential for the problem clearly enough. And curiosity is a dangerous thing sometimes. Bo did, in fact, lure Richard in. Simply because he wanted to 'get a feel for him'. Bo's Channeler indicated this new 'Power' was a danger. He heard the others talk about him, say he was dangerous, and a threat to Becca. So Bo, being a good home security system, decided the best offense was a good defense, and let Richard into the house so he could get a feel for him. Should Richard try to come back to the house, he might find things a bit more.....difficult than the last time.

All reviews are as of 1/17/2010.

And remember;

Living wage: twice what you make.

: 


	37. Chapter 37

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: ****STRATEGY**

"She's calling to us for help!" Orin stated fervently, pacing around his office like a caged tiger. "How can you refuse?"

"I refuse because I am still thinking." The other 'Power' replied. Standing silently in one of the corners of the room, Eric had not moved for some time. Instead he had remained motionless, staring at the opposite wall while Orin continued to cross and re-cross his line of vision. "Connie got herself into this mess, Orin. Through her arrogance and her pride. I'll not share the same fate for the same reasons."

"And she's not as strong as us, Eric. She needs our help. You can't abandon her!" Orin demanded.

"I'm not. But I'll not run straight into that insolent little creature's trap simply because Connie suddenly has no stomach for the consequences of her poor choices. But nor do I have any intention of letting this child think that he has bested me, or that I do not care for my own."

"We can get her out." Orin insisted. "The other could help us do it."

Eric's gaze settled on him. "You don't know that for sure. And tapping into the other's magic is too much of a risk. If something were to go wrong, Connie could be hurt. Her body could be damaged." "Her body is already being damaged by that deranged creature. And if he does enough harm to it she won't be able to hold onto this realm. We'll lose her, Eric! Are you ready to concede that?"

The other 'Power's' stare never wavered off of him. "No. But nor am I going to rush into this head long without thinking it through, Orin. We have to go very carefully here. If we move to fast, we could end up harming Connie ourselves. Move too slow, and he'll kill her."

"Well, we can't just sit here!"

"We're not."

"No?"

"No." The other 'Power' stated. "We're going to pay a visit to your Mr. Black."

* * *

A few minutes later Orion was opening his front door to find his superior and Eric Matterson on his doorstep.

"Have you found Connie?" Was Orion's first question.

Bale walked past his agent into the house. "Not yet. But Eric wanted to come talk to you."

Orion turned to the Deatheater, who was following his brother in the door.

"Actually," Matterson correct Bale's statement, "I wish to talk to your brother, Sirius."

Orion's eyebrows rose at the request. "Sirius? What for?"

"I have heard, Mr. Black, that your brother is a master strategist. I think we've come to a point we could use one of those."

Orin had come to a stop in the foyer and turned back to Eric. "A strategist?" He asked. "We don't need a strategist to find her, Eric."

"We need one to get her out." The Deatheater replied. "We can't rush in wherever he has her, Orin. And we're both too close to this to see all sides of a plan. We need an impartial third party working with us. And if I can get someone who can formulate a good strategy as easily as most people compose their next sentence, so much the better for us."

Orion was watching the two argue out the situation. "That may be all well and good for you." He said finally. "But I'm not so sure Sirius is up to any of this. My brother's been through.........."

"I'm well aware of your brother's.....difficulties, Mr. Black" Matterson replied, effectively cutting him off. "But I'm not looking for a wizard in this. Sirius need not even go with us when we go to get Connie away from this lunatic. My only need from him is to tell us the best way to do it."

"I'm still not sure....."

"You're brother is already on Orin's payroll, Mr. Black. Working to try and help find Heudros. I am simply offering him something else to work on when Orin's task proves a bit tedious."

"Finding Heudros isn't a 'tedious' task." Bale spoke up.

"I couldn't agree more." Matterson replied. "In fact, Mr. Barantor's input on what he knows about this irritant could prove somewhat useful. But finding Connie is my first priority right now."

Orion stood silently considering the enigmatic 'Power' that was Eric Matterson. The man simply wasn't listening to him. He assumed that Sirius helping them was a forgone conclusion and anyone else's view was irrelevant.

But in his opinion, it was time to inject a few conditions of his own.

"All right," Orion stated, "you want Sirius' help? Fine. But there are two conditions. And they are not negotiable."

Matterson's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared down at the man. "Conditions?" He asked slowly.

"Yes. First, Sirius has to agree. If he has the slightest misgiving, you back off. No cajoling, bargaining, or threatening. 'No' means 'no' here."

Matterson seemed to consider the condition for a few moments. "All right." He said finally. "Agreed."

Orion turned to Bale, who simply gave a single nod.

"Second," Orion stated, "you tell Sirius the truth."

Neither 'Power' responded immediately. Instead Orion watched as the two locked gazes across the foyer. For all the world he would bet there was some sort of silent communication going on.

Finally Matterson turned his stoic gaze back to Orion. "That is out of the question." He stated.

"The find yourself another strategist." Orion replied in a flat tone that left no room for argument.

"We already have one. Your brother."

"Who isn't available any longer."

"For what?"

All three men instantly turned to the stairs, where Sirius was just coming down.

"I'd like to know what exactly it is that I'm not available for." He stated as he proceeded down the last flight of stairs.

"My brother and I were looking to engage your services with a troublesome matter that has arisen." Eric said quickly, effectively cutting Orion off before he even began.

Sirius turned to face the Bale. "Does this have anything to do with the other 'matter' you asked me to help with?"

"As a matter of fact," Eric spoke up again, "it is very closely related to it."

Sirius turned a composed but bored look to the man next to him. "Does anyone in this room get to talk but you?" He asked.

Orion all but choked stifling his next comment behind a cough. Something that didn't go un-noticed by Eric as he raised an eyebrow in the Unspeakable's direction.

"That's a nasty cough, Mr. Black. You should have that looked at before it develops into something more serious." He stated flatly before turning his attention calmly back to Sirius. "Orin and I have a sister, Connie, who is being held by a person who means her harm. We need your help to free her."

Orion stared hard at the man. "Could you have sanitized that any more if you tried?" He asked heatedly.

Sirius considered the two men for a moment. "My brother seems to have some misgivings about my helping you with your 'troublesome matter'."

"Your brother is being overly cautious."

Sirius fixed a hard gaze on the man. "My brother may be many things," he stated in a low, level voice, "but I have not found 'overly cautious' to be one of them. If Orion feels a certain matter is dangerous, he's usually right. Now, my brother, from what I heard, was laying down some rules to my taking on this 'troublesome matter'. One was I had to agree to it. As yet, I have not. The second was I was to be told the truth. I get the distinct feeling that qualification has yet to be satisfied either."

Matterson gave the younger Black brother a very tight-lipped smile. "It's a small wonder your relearning of your magical skills is taking a bit longer than expected." He stated casually. "As that you seem to spend an inordinate amount of time eavesdropping on other peoples conversations instead."

Sirius returned the smile. "And I find in general you learn such interesting things that way."

"You can also learn some very dangerous things that way, Mr. Black."

Sirius refused to back down. "You've heard the conditions." He stated. "Do let me know when you've made a decision."

Bale watched Sirius turn to leave the foyer. "Just a minute." He stated suddenly, stopping Sirius before he reached the doorway. "Eric, we need his help. What choice do we have?"

Matterson stood with his arms crossed so tightly over his chest Orion wondered that the man could breath at all. "Given time, I am sure I could find several."

"And time, unfortunately, isn't something we have." Bale hissed at his brother.

The Deatheater stood in silence so long Orion began to wonder if he was going to say anything at all. Instead he simply stood as though frozen in place, staring across the foyer at his brother as though no one else around them even existed.

"Very well." Matterson stated finally, breaking the silence. "But if we're going to have 'Show and Tell'," he added with a wicked grin, "let's at least have some fun with it."

Before Orion could even think what the Deatheater had in mind, the form standing before him melted into a pool of black, liquid light. But no sooner had one form vanished than another took its place. Within seconds the black pool reformed into a large, green, full grown dragon. It's mass filling the foyer as it let out an unearthly roar.

Bale was first to confront the creature. "Eric! Enough! We haven't time for......"

But that was as far as the 'Power' got in reigning in his brother. As the dragon expanded it's chest to let out another billowing roar, it was cut short by a sudden sound of a door being thrown open.

"Oh no." Was all Orion was able to get out as soon as he realized what the sound meant.

From the other side of the foyer, the door to the basement hit the wall with a resounding bang, and a large snout inserted itself into the open doorway.

But with a brief puff of smoke from its flared nostrils, the creature seemed to suddenly realize its error. The snout quickly disappeared, only to be replaced by a type of gel that easily squeezed its way out of the opening, quickly solidifying itself into the form of a near mirror image of the other dragon, with the exception of it being black rather than green.

Expanding its chest with a deep pull of air into its lungs, the dragon exhaled with a roar that shook the house to its foundation.

The green dragon considered the newcomer for a moment, then pulled its lips back, revealing a mouth-full of very long, very sharp teeth.

Orion immediately placed himself in front of the black dragon. Eric really had no idea what he was dealing with.

"Bo!" Orion called up to the dragon. "Bo!"

The black dragon maneuvered its head around against the foyer ceiling until it managed to crane its neck back and look down at the man standing before it.

"Bo. Eric's just playing a game. All right? It's just a game. He's not going to hurt anyone." Orion quickly turned back to the other dragon. "Mister, you'd best transform back right now, or you are going to have more trouble than you bargained for here. Bo doesn't understand that you're not going to hurt us. He thinks you're a threat and he'll respond accordingly if you don't back off RIGHT NOW!"

The green dragon studied its adversary for a few moments, who was once again eyeing it through narrow slits as it seemed to wait to see if it's Channeler was telling the truth. But finally the black dragon took a step back and quickly dissolved into a pool of black liquid light that eventually reformed by Bale's side as his brother.

If Orion expected the Deatheater to say anything, he was sorely disappointed as the man instead simply stood next to his brother, a curiously puzzled look on his face as he watched the black dragon equally disappear, reforming into a tower of dark robes next to its Channeler.

For once the boggart did not pat anyone on the head or even offer a friendly wave at its adversary. Instead Bo simply stood at Orion's side, his cloth covered arms folded in front of him. For all the world Orion felt like the boggart was simply waiting for the Deatheater to cross some invisible line.

Standing on Orion's opposite side, Sirius was giving the Deatheater the same equally appraising look Matterson was giving the boggart.

"I'm willing to bet you got very high marks in your Transfigurations classes." He stated.

Matterson turned a slow gaze to Sirius. A small smile curled over his lips. "I'd have gotten very high marks in a lot of my classes, Mr. Black.......had I taken any."

"A natural talent?" Sirius inquired innocently.

"More than you know."

"Orin and Eric aren't your usual wizards, Sirius." Orion put in with a sigh. If Sirius were to take Matterson's offer, he wanted his brother to know the truth of who he was getting involved with. But this wasn't the way he wanted him to learn it. "They aren't, in fact, wizards at all."

"And I take serious exception to that." Bale spoke up quickly. "If you insist on your brother being privy to this information, at least be accurate about it. I very rarely, after all, hear you referring to your boggart as a 'thing'. I would like to be extended that same courtesy."

Orion paused for a moment. The last thing he liked to admit was that Bale had backed him into a corner. But when the man was right, he was right.

With a slight nod, Orion turned back to his brother. "Orin and Eric aren't from our realm, Sirius. They're from the realm where our own magic originates. What they are is...."

"Magic." Sirius suddenly stated with understanding. "You're...just 'magic'."

"We're a good deal more sophisticated than that, Mr. Black." Matterson spoke up. "'Just magic' is what comes out of the end of your wand. I'm a bit more than that."

But something else had grabbed Sirius' attention as he turned quickly back to Orion. "Orin said you don't refer to Bo as a 'thing'."

Orion had hoped that small piece of information would get lost in other, more relevant disclosures. But Sirius had latched onto it like the proverbial dog with it's bone.

"Bo is.....somewhat similar to Orin and Eric." He explained carefully. "But he's a 'Power' that was locked in the body and the mind of a boggart by our father."

Sirius frowned at the explanation. "Why?"

Orion tried to come up with a reasonable answer, but Matterson beat him to it.

"Because he feared him." The Deatheater sneered at him. "Because he feared what he couldn't understand and what he couldn't control."

"That isn't true!" Orion shot back. "My father thought Bo was a danger to us with good reason. Any of my family that used his magic went insane. He didn't want that for me and he didn't want that for Sirius. And he didn't just abandon Bo, leaving him without any form, locked in the dark of his own mind somewhere. He gave him a body of his own. Something that would likely outlive any other host he could have. A body where he could interact with the world around him. Not just exist in our realm, vicariously living his life through his host."

"How very decent of him." Matterson answered in a droll tone.

"And that's enough, Eric." Bale put in quickly, cutting off anything either Orion or Matterson might have had to say on the matter. "This is of no use to us." He added, turning quickly to Sirius. "Have all your conditions been met?" He asked pointedly.

Sirius considered the question for a moment. He had certainly gotten more than he bargained for with the 'truth', and he felt he still was facing a great many unanswered questions. But the two were asking for his help and time was apparently of the essence. So instead of drawing things out, he slowly nodded instead.

"Then I suggest we concentrate our effort on finding Connie from this point on." Bale stated with a good deal of finality. "Arguing among ourselves does nothing more than give Richard extra time to carry out his plans. He has to be stopped before he harms Connie. And to do that, we have to stay one step ahead of him. For that, Mr. Black, we need you." Orin added, turning once more to Sirius.

"I take it Connie is what you are then?" Sirus asked. "Her being your sister."

Bale nodded quickly.

"And who is Richard?" Sirius asked with a puzzled frown.

"A demented little cretin with a very short life expectancy." Eric answered with a small smile.

Bale frowned at his brother before turning to Sirius. "Richard is from our realm." He explained. "He was called by Heudros. But that fool couldn't control him and Richard eventually turned the tables on Heudros. Sort of the 'slave becoming the master' scenario. Since that time, Heudros has managed to escape Richard's control. But now Richard has no one he answers to. He's a 'free agent' as it were."

"One with very definite plans." Eric put in sullenly.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Plans?"

"It's the reason we believe he took our sister." Bale replied. "Richard is looking to build his power base. One way to do that is to steal the magic from others of his own kind. However, once you take our magic from us.......there really isn't much left, you understand. In our own realm we are pure magic, Mr. Black. We have no corporeal bodies. When we come to your realm, these bodies are little more than physical hosts for us. Our anchor in your realm, if you will. But if another of our kind, or even one of your kind, were able to siphon off our magic, what would honestly be left of us? And while it is difficult to kill one us in such a manner, such an attack would force us to abandon this realm at that point to survive. And that, we believe, is what he means to do to Connie."

"And you know for a fact this 'Richard' has her?"

Bale nodded. "Yes. We just don't know where. But it is most likely wherever he is living. He has no where else to be that we are aware of."

"And does anyone have any idea where this 'Richard' lives?" Sirius asked.

Orion watched as his superior's expression took on an extremely pained looked.

"There is one person who has been in his house." Bale answered in a voice that sounded like it was an extreme effort for him to get out each word.

Sirius turned to the man. "Who?"

Bale paused, then pulled himself up as he folded his arms behind his back. "Our niece." He replied in an overly formal sounding tone. "Becca."

"Your 'niece'?" Sirius questioned.

"Becca was called to your realm by the same fool of a wizard who called Richard." Bale explained. "But when she became separated from....this man, she needed help controlling her magic in this realm. So we took her in. She's only come to us recently, Mr. Black. And she hasn't been in this realm very long. So I wouldn't get my hopes up to thinking you are going to get much out of her. If we could have gotten the answers we needed out of her, Eric could have used that information already to find Richard."

Orion turned quickly back to his superior. "How?"

"We all have talents, Mr. Black." The head of the Unspeakable's replied. "Things that we are better at than others of our kind. Eric's talent, aside from being very good at transfiguration, is teleporting. If Becca could remember things....'see' Richard's house...or even just the surroundings of a room she was in, clearly enough, Eric could use her as a link to take us there simply by what he could see through Becca."

"Have you tried questioning her?" Sirius asked.

"Have you tried questioning her, Mr. Black? Becca is not the most forthcoming person when it comes to answers. It's more like pulling teeth just to get a simple 'yes' or 'no' out of the girl." Bale turned his attention to Orion. "You know yourself all too well what she is like when she's trying to remember something. She's.....sketchy....at best."

"She remembering things like a fifteen year old girl." Orion corrected. "And she wasn't trained to take in detail like an agent is, Orin. She sees things like everyone else. In passing. She sees it, and if it isn't important, she forgets most of it."

"Be that as it may," Bale continued, turning back to Sirius, "I have already tried locating Richard through questioning Becca about his house. Her recollections are simply too incomplete for Eric to use. If the subject's memories are too vague, we could end up literally anywhere. 'Detail' is what is essential here. The little things that separate that place from anywhere else. Becca simply can not give us that.""

"Be that as it may," Sirius replied, "I'd like to talk to her."

But Orion suddenly had a better idea. Knowing all to well himself what it could be like trying to question Becca about something when details were involved. And how much worse it was when she was nervous or scared, Orion didn't see Sirius getting much more than her name out of her without some help.

"Maybe what we need here," Orion put in, "is some 'professional' help."

Bale turned quickly to him. "Professional help?"

"Maybe what we need is an interrogator." Orion suggested. "A very skilled, very specialized one."

Bale frowned at his agent. "I hardly think your wife would be a wise suggestion, Mr. Black. She's hardly known for her gentle manner."

Orion gave the man a small, knowing smile. "I'm glad you think so. Because I'm not suggesting Katlin. I'm suggesting Arabella."

**Q&A**

Silverfox:

***sighs* Oh Bo, Bo, Bo ...But I guess now that he has Connie Richard won't come back to the house. Probably good for Becca the little mouse, but how will they find him then?**

Actually, Richard having Connie is not a good thing. Nor is it going to slow him down any, as the others are about to find out.

Indeed, having Connie alleviates Richard having to come back to the house to try for Becca again. But he still 'has' Connie. For Richard this is basically the equivalent of buying a lottery ticket in the hopes of winning a few dollars and finding out you struck the jackpot.

How they are going to find him is a bit complicated, but is explained in the next chapter.

All reviews are as of 2/21/2010.

And remember:

Work is something that when we have it, we wish we didn't; when we don't have it, we wish we did; and the object of most of it is to be able to afford not to do any some day.


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: ****PLANNING**

"Figg!" Came the disbelieving statement from Eric. "I hardly think some interrogator battering the poor girl is going to get us much better out of her."

"And I seriously doubt you've ever seen her work, Matterson." Orion cut him off sharply. "Few people ever have."

Bale took up Orion's position. "He's right, Eric. Arabella Figg is the best the department has at interrogation. When they just can't crack the nut, she's the one they bring in."

"I fail to see the need for anything more than simply questioning the girl, Orin." Matterson scoffed. "She's not an idiot."

"No one thinks that." Bale replied. "But sometimes Ms. Figg can help people remember things a bit...clearer."

Eric studied his brother for a few moments. "Fine." He stated finally, turning to Orion with a none to happy look. "Get your interrogator, Mr. Black."

* * *

One fire and one very carefully worded explanation later and Orion had told Arabella what they needed of her. He had stuck to facts, but only telling her as much as he felt she needed to know to do an effective interrogation.

He had also explained to Sirius that he couldn't tell Arabella what he knew about any of the 'Powers'. That the less she knew, he told him, the safer she would be.

Standing in the foyer still, Arabella looked around at the assembly.

"Well, none of you even remotely resembles a fifteen year old girl. So I am assuming my charge isn't here yet."

"All in good time, Ms. Figg." Bale stated. "I'm sure Becca will be along presently?" He added, turning to Orion.

Turning to the stairs, Orion shouted up them. "BECCA!"

Fifteen seconds later, the errant 'Power' appeared at Orion's side.

"Becca," Orion said, gesturing to where Arabella stood smiling at the girl, "this is Ms. Figg. She's a friend of ours who needs to ask you a few questions."

The girl's eyes immediately widened. "Questions?" She asked. "What sort of questions?"

"Well, certainly not the kind that are answered any better while standing in a foyer." Arabella stated, directing the girl to a side doorway. "Lets go into the front room, all right?"

Becca obediently allowed herself to be steered to the front room, and eventually to a sofa, where she cautiously took a seat and watched as Arabella pulled a chair up in front of her.

"What sort of questions are you going to ask me?" The girl nervously asked again.

"We need to find where Richard lives." Eric answered her, standing near the fireplace with his arms tightly crossed in front of him. "You are the only person who has ever been to his house, Becca. So we need you to be able to locate it."

The girl's eyes widened further. "But I've told you," She explained in a slightly higher pitched voice, "I don't know where his house is exactly. He never told me. And I only ever saw the inside of it."

"That's fine, Becca." Bale answered her growing anxiety. "But Ms. Figg is going to try and help you remember some things you may have forgotten. Help you remember things clearer. If you can do that, may we can find Richard's house, and rescue Connie."

At the mention of her friend's name, the girl's eyes widened even further. "Connie?!" She cried. "Richard has Connie?! Elder, we have to get her away from him! He'll hurt her!"

Orin met the girl's frantic plea with his usual stoic expression. "We will, Becca. But we need your help to do so. Now please, turn around and pay attention to Ms. Figg."

Becca obediently turned back to face Arabella, a fierce determination lit behind the girl's wide-eyed stare.

"All right now, Becca," Arabella started, "I'm going to ask you a few questions. And I want you to think very carefully before you answer. Don't just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. Think about your answer first, then tell it to me. You understand?"

Becca thought for a moment, then gave Arabella a quick nod.

"Very good. Now, Becca, I want to ask you about Richard, all right? Now try to think for me........when did you first meet him?"

Becca paused for a very long time before saying anything, her wide eyed stare showing nothing but her single-minded concentration. "I........I'm sorry." She stated finally, shaking her head in defeat. "I don't remember exactly."

Arabella gently patted the girl's hands as they lay clenched tightly in her lap. "That's all right, Becca." She reassured her. "We'll work on that together. I'm sure we can get to the answer if we both try."

Becca managed a small smile and another small, quick nod.

An hour later, Arabella finally got up from her chair, leaving a partially dazed looking Becca barely following her movements as she walked over to where the three men stood watching.

"That's all I'm going to get out of her." Arabella said, referring to the information she had managed to extract from the girl over the past hour. "She honestly is doing the best she can." She added, turning to Bale. "But she simply never bothered paying much attention to details from what I can tell."

Bale frowned at the answer. "How can one 'not' pay attention to details?"

"Because people categorize things differently." Arabella replied. "Two people may witness....say a robbery. Where one person may be able to tell you everything down to what each person in the area was wearing, the other may not even remembered if the robber had a weapon. But they could tell you if the sun was shining that day or not. Becca.....can tell you if the sun was shining."

Bale let out a loud sigh of exasperation, but Eric was already stepping around him.

"I am sure Becca did the best she could, Orin. Let's see if it was enough."

Walking over to where the girl still sat on the sofa, Eric took the chair Arabella had been sitting in so that he directly faced the fledgling 'Power'.

"Becca?" Matterson stated, snapping his fingers in front of her.

Becca reacted almost as though he had slapped her, jumping slightly at the sound. Quickly looking around the girl turned back to him finally with an apologetic look. "Did I fall asleep?" She asked. "Ms. Figg was asking me some questions.....and......I must have gone to sleep."

"Well, that's all right." Matterson assured her, patting her hands in a similar manner and offering her a small smile. "But now you and I are going to do something very similar, all right? I am going to ask you some questions, and I want you to think before you answer, yes? Just like you did for Ms. Figg."

"Did I not answer Ms. Figg's questions right?" The girl asked in dismay. "Will we not be able to help Connie now?"

Matterson shook his head slightly. "You did very well for Ms. Figg." He told her. "But I need to ask some questions of my own now if we are going to be able to find our sister, all right? Now, this will be just as you did for Ms. Figg. It is just that my questions are a little different, that's all."

Off to the side Bale gave another loud, exasperated sigh. "We don't have all day, Eric." He stated to his brother.

Matterson's smile never so much as wavered in the smallest way, nor did he even for a second break eye contact with the girl in front of him. "We have as much time as this will take, brother." Came the well-measured response. "I don't interfere with your work, so please stay out of mine."

Orion was sure his superior would have some response to the curt dismissal. But instead he simply fell into an irritated silence as he stood watching Matterson question Becca.

"Now, Becca, we're going to start out very general, and slowly begin to narrow things down, all right? We'll start with....can you tell me where this Richard lives?" Matterson asked the girl.

"In his house."

Orion was sure the Deatheater would come out of his chair at the response. But Matterson didn't so much as raise an eyebrow. The only reaction he gave was a slight grimace creeping into his smile.

"And that is....where?" He asked carefully.

Becca shook her head. "I don't know. I mean......, I never saw the outside. Richard always promised to show it to me, but he never did." Her expression suddenly brightened. "But he said you might never know his house from the outside.

Matterson raised his eyebrows slightly. "Why is that, little one?"

"I ask him once.....his house seemed so large inside, I said it must draw attention from the outside, being so big. He said it didn't matter how large it was on the inside, because on the outside he could make it anything he wanted. He said he could make it a box in an alleyway if he desired."

Matterson's smile widened. "Now, you see, Becca. You have told me a great deal in that one sentence and done very well."

The girl positively beamed under the praise. "I did?"

But Bale wasn't nearly so easily impressed. "Barely."

"I didn't remember that before." Becca said happily. "Will you be able to find Connie now?"

Matterson gently brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. "Not yet, little one. But we off to a very good start. Let's continue. But this time," he added, gently taking hold of the girl's hands, "I want you to close your eyes and visualize each place we talk about in your mind for me, all right?"

For another hour Matterson carefully questioned Becca. And with each question Orion could clearly see the influence of Arabella's work coming out. With each question the girl was able to build on the amount of details she remembered. But even as she began to expand on her memory, Matterson began to narrow his search until he centered the girl on one room. Apparently an entry to Richard's house. Matterson had literally backed the girl up through the house, starting at the last room she remembered being in so that he had as clear a picture of the house as possible.

As the Deatheater worked, Orion watched as his superior was quickly working alongside his brother. With each detail Becca brought out, Bale was adding it in scale to a small model he had conjured up of the house as closely as he could approximate it from Becca's memories. Every detail she added, so did he. From a chair to a pillar to a vase on a table; everything was carefully added into the model.

Watching the miniature construction, Orion continued to listen as Matterson carefully and skillfully maneuvered the girl where he wanted her to go through the house.

A path Bale seemed to be following with the tip of his wand through the maze of corridors he was reconstructing based on what the girl was saying. Every so often Bale would turn to his brother, who, though never acknowledging the stare, would gently alter his questioning and lead Becca somewhere else.

"I don't get it." Orion said as the questioning started to wind down. "Your brother, one of the most ruthless people I know..., and that's saying something...., is sitting there, coddling a frightened, young girl into talking to him....and doing a very good job of it."

Bale continued to look over his model. "And that is surprising you...why?" He asked.

"Because I would not expect Eric Matterson, Deatheater extraordinaire, to coddle anyone into doing anything. He generally just tells people what to do and they could do it or risk the consequences. But most of the time he doesn't even bother with telling them to do anything, he just 'consequences' them for the fun of it. But he's treating that girl like she's made of china. And she's obviously responding well to the treatment."

Bale glanced briefly over at where the two sat still talking quietly, then turned back to his own work "Likes don't always attract, Mr. Black."

Orion raised his eyebrows. "Pardon?"

Bale stood up and turned to face his agent. "Likes don't always attract." He repeated. "You understand the concepts of light and dark magic." He went on, though not bothering to wait for answer. "Eric is dark magic, or at least, that is the 'pool' he draws from. I am light magic, in so much as that that is the magic I manipulate best. Becca is also light magic. As is Richard, most likely. That is all it seems our Mr. Barantor knows how to call.....thank goodness. But because Becca and I are essentially the same, as you understand it, Becca feels threatened by me. I'm an 'elder' of her clan, if you like. But to her, Eric is just....Eric. She feels she owes him no great deference...no loyalty. They are polar opposites. And in a fight she could likely defend herself for several minutes. Against me, Becca would literally be fighting herself."

"So with your people this all comes down to who could beat you up?"

"It 'comes down to' understanding your superiors and showing them proper respect, Mr. Black. Becca understands that."

"Then it's a wonder she bothers with you at all." Matterson replied, coming to stand next to his brother.

Orion studied the man with a new, more cautious note. A look that did not go un-noticed by the Deatheater.

"Do reign in your paranoia, Mr. Black." He stated. "I am no more or less than my brother."

"With the exception that you are, for all intense and purpose, dark magic." Orion replied.

Matterson met the statement with his brother's same stoic expression. "Your people have an uncanny ability to simply and immediately fear whatever they don't understand. And as such, they give it a name they feel is equally deserving.

Suppose we reclassify my magic, Mr. Black. Instead, referring to it as 'wild' magic. It's not the same, calm, tame power you are use to harnessing. It's more volatile. More powerful. Something that only the strong and truly skilled can handle. Does that make it still 'evil'? Does it make those who are able to tap into it and manipulate it 'evil'? Or does it make them stronger? More daring. More adventuresome than your average wizard?"

Orion stared back at the man. "Somehow I never classified Voldemort as 'adventuresome'."

The Deatheater leaned a little closer to him. "Then go look in a mirror and ask those questions." He stated in a low, level voice.

Bale brought the exchange to a quick end, having already brought Sirius over to study the model he had constructed from Becca memories.

"If you had to apparate into the house, where would you start?" Bale asked Sirius.

Sirius studied the model for a few minutes. "The entrance way is out." He started. "Entrances to houses are usually the best guarded, being viewed as the weak links in a structure's defenses. We need to look for a place he would be least interested in protecting."

"That would be my room." Becca spoke up. The girl was now kneeling on the sofa, leaning over the back as she watched the three men discuss what to do next. "As much care as he ever gave to me, I doubt he cares less what happens to my room."

Sirius considered her comment. "She has a point." He said finally. "Richard likely has the least amount of security around that area."

"If it even still exists." Matterson put in.

But Sirius shook his head. "Even from what little I've heard of Becca describing him this morning while we were working with Bo, this 'Richard' does not sound like someone who would waste his time rearranging his house. If the area is done serving it's purpose, he is more likely to simply forget it than waste what he views as his valuable time eliminating it."

Bale nodded. "That makes sense. So we'll focus on Becca's old room."

"We'll need to focus on a distraction as well." Sirius put in. "Something to draw him away from the house while we're there."

"What about the castle?" Orion put in quickly.

A resounding 'No!' filled the room.

"Not my castle!" Becca all but wailed. "Haven't you done enough to it?"

"Castle?" Sirius questioned his brother.

"The castle used to be Becca's...."

"Is!" She stated firmly, cutting Orion off sharply. "It is my home! It belongs to me."

"It's a pile of rocks, girl!" Orion stated sharply.

Becca faced him with utter defiance. "It is still my home!"

"Fine. The castle is Becca's home." Orion corrected. "Richard seems to watch over it, since it draws people like London central station for some reason."

"It is likely a focal point." Bale pointed out. "A place where one can access magic easier than anywhere else. Some people are very in-tuned to such places. Heudros may have been one such person, choosing that place to build Becca's castle for just that reason."

"It's a comfortable place." Becca stated. "It's my home."

"Just the same," Orion put in, "I can go to the castle with Bo. That would likely be enough to attract Richard's attention. Draw him away from the house. Once he's there Bo and I can work to detain him while Orin and Eric try to rescue Connie."

"What about me?" Becca chimed in quickly. "What do I get to do?"

"You get to stay here with Sirius." Orion replied. "Neither of you is in any position to face this boy if it comes to a fight."

"I can fight!" Becca stated. "And I can help."

"You can't fight well enough." Orion told her. "Not against someone like Richard."

"Then I can do shields." Becca stated. "Bo's been helping me make them stronger, and holding them up longer. While you and Bo fight, I can protect you. And I can set traps. I'm good at traps. And wards." She quickly put in with a pleased, smug smile. "I set all the wards in the castle. I'm really good with wards."

Orion started to refuse her again, but stopped himself abruptly. Thinking back, he had to admit that Becca could indeed produce and hold a fairly strong shield. And some of her traps were exceptionally well planned. And he couldn't argue the complexity of the wards they had encountered.

It was the wide-eyed enthusiasm he met when he looked at her that bothered him. That single-minded determination that all too often disregarded the potential danger.

"If Orin agrees," he said finally, "you can go with Bo and me. But if you do, you'll do only what I tell you and you'll do it when I tell you. Is that understood?"

But Becca had already turned her pleading gaze to her uncle for approval.

"You heard Mr. Black, Becca?" Bale asked her.

Becca quickly nodded. "What I'm told. When I'm told. I heard."

Bale turned to Sirius. "What do you think?"

But Sirius didn't seem to be paying attention to the present conversation. Instead he was studying Bale's model. "While Eric was questioning her, Becca said from her room she wasn't sure how to get to the cellar, since she wasn't conscious when Richard took her there."

Bale nodded. "What are you thinking?"

"Becca said she knew it was a 'cellar', since Richard told her that directly." Sirius said. "And if it's where he keeps his prisoners, mostly others of his own kind, he may not risk having a door to it at all. It may only be accessed through a ward."

With his final word, four pairs of eyes turned towards where Becca still leaned over the back of the sofa.

Looking up, the girl regarded them with a puzzled stare. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"I believe there's been a slight change of plans, little one." Bale commented with a tight, controlled smile.

**Q&A**

Silverfox:

**Just how does Eric expect a strategist to work, if he doesn't know the possibilities available to either side?I never meant to say Richard having Conny was a good thing in general, merely that it was improving Becca's safety ... and that of any unfortunate humans happening to be in the same house with ? Oh, just don't remind me of that! (It's so perfectly true. *sigh*)**

Eric is not exactly big on social networking, you have to understand. He's also not very big on sharing. The fact that he has gone along with things as far as he has is amazing in and of itself. Currently, he's only in the whole matter for Connie's sake. He very badly wants to get her away from Richard. Probably even more than Orin does. Eric is just a good deal more stoic about it. And that's saying something, as that Orin tends to give the word 'reticent' a run for it's money.

Lindenmc:

**I am really enjoying your ability to throw some truly impressive curve balls! It is so refreshing to see you've mastered the fine art of cliffhanger endings. What a well-crafted group of characters; they are all possessed with the ability to surprise us. Lindenmc**

Ohhhhhhhhh! Thank you, Dear. That's the best stroking my ego has had in a LONG time.

cyiusblack:

**update soon**

I do try, Dear. But.....it's...ummmmm........it's kinda been that Olympic thing going on for me the past two weeks. I'm afraid I've been something of an Olympiholic lately.

All reviews are as of 2/28/2010.

And a big WOOHOO! to Canada on their gold metal win at the Olympics today.

And kudos to the American team for their silver metal. But for heavens sake, guys! Stop looking like someone smacked your best friend with a hockey puck! Even the bronze medallist Fins looked happier than you. You played a fabulous, exciting, great game.

And that's saying something from me. I hate hockey!


	39. Chapter 39

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER 39: ****RESCUE (Part One)**

Becca now stood nervously fidgeting next to her uncles as they went over the model again with Sirius, trying to figure out where the most likely places were for Richard to have placed wards between Becca's room and the cellar.

"Getting through the wards isn't going to necessarily be the hard part." Sirius pointed out. "It's finding them and knowing where they'll take you."

"I can tell a ward's path." Becca spoke up timidly. "But I.......I can't 'see' them."

"See them?" Bale questioned.

"I can't sense where wards are very well. And they are Richard's wards. If he makes a point of hiding them, I may not be able to sense them. We could walk right into one and not know it until it was too late."

A small smile lit Arabella's face. "I might know the solution to that one." She stated, pulling out her wand.

A quick spell later and a small green snake appeared on the table next to Bale's model.

"Hey! I was napping I was!" Roland stated indignantly.

"A snake?" Bale said past a raised eyebrow.

"Oh! Another group of rocket scientists I got here." Roland retorted, turning to the head of the Unspeakables. "Well, right you are, Sunshine! I...am a snake. And a right cranky one at the moment. So I hope this was important."

Arabella turned to Bale. "Roland was a great help in the castle sensing wards." She explained. "You could use him to find where the wards are, and Becca could tell you where they lead."

"Oh, here!" Roland exclaimed. "I ain't going back to that old castle. No how, no way!"

"No one wants to take you back to the castle." Bale explained to the little snake. "This is somewhere different."

"Is it dangerous?" Roland asked.

"It could prove to be, yes."

"Not interested." He replied flatly.

"And I don't recall anyone asking if you were." A cold voice stated from behind the little snake.

Turning around Roland found himself staring up at Eric Matterson.

"Deatheaters?!" He exclaimed, turning back to the others. "Just what sort of weird party are you throwing here?"

"The kind where you are currently the guest of honor." Matterson replied in the same chilled tone. "The only difference being that we haven't decided yet whether it's to be a celebratory party.....," he added, leaning down to the little snake's level on the table, "....or an animal sacrifice."

Roland considered the man for a few seconds before turning back to Bale. "So, what is it exactly I can do for you lads?"

Thirty minutes later, with plans laid out and everyone understanding their roles in the operation, Bale turned once more to his brother.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

The whole time Bale had been talking with Becca and Roland, the Deatheater had been doing little other than studying Bale's model. But now he stood silently next to his brother, answering his question with only a slight nod.

"Eric will take us to Richard's house." Bale explained. "And get us back. Once we are at the house we need to move as quickly as possible from Becca's room to the cellar, get Connie out and apparate back here. Is everyone clear on that?"

"Who am I riding with?" Roland spoke up quickly.

A hand quickly inserted itself beneath the little snake before anyone else could decide.

"You can go with me, Roland." Becca stated quickly.

Roland looked her over once. "Well, I suppose better you than the Deatheater."

Matterson spared the little snake barely a glance as he and Bale turned to Orion.

"Are you and Bo ready to go as well?" Bale asked his agent.

Orion nodded as the tower of dark robes behind him stood silently in place. "We'll get there and make the distraction." He stated. "When Richard arrives, I'll set off the alarm here so you'll know the coast is clear. If he tries to leave or suddenly disappears, I'll warn you. But you won't have much time."

"Well, hopefully it won't come to that." Bale replied. "All right. You and Bo start. We'll wait here for your signal."

* * *

Apparating back to the castle, Orion looked around for a few moments, wondering if Richard would just show up on his own or if he was going to have to start destroying things to get his attention.

Standing in one place for a few more moments, Orion decided to take a look around. Maybe someone moving about the area would get the other 'Power's' attention faster. But he hadn't walked more than a few hundred feet when a clothe covered hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back with such force he nearly landed on his back.

Orion turned quickly to his boggart. "What is it now?" He asked in a slightly annoyed manner.

The boggart raised his arm and moved it downward in front of Orion. In the wake of the movement, a shimmering rectangular door appeared directly in front of Orion.

Orion blew out a breathe. "Good job, Bo." He aplogized. "This boy knows how to set a trap. No doubt about that."

"Oh, now that just wasn't fair at all!" A voice mockingly whined above them.

Looking up, Orion was already moving as a bolt of light hit just feet from him.

"Bringing the boggart along to sniff out my traps? That takes all of the sport out of it, doesn't it?" Richard stated.

Orion managed to dodge another bolt. The main thing for him was to keep the boy in his sight. What he didn't like was that that sight was currently 'up'.

* * *

Back at the house Bale and the others looked up as a high pitched alarm went off.

"Well, that was fast." He commented, turning to the others. "Is everyone ready then?"

Becca nodded quickly as Roland lay coiled up in her hand. Next to her Matterson was standing with his eyes closed as he concentrated on the scene reconstructed for him out of Becca's memories.

Within seconds they were standing in the small, cell-like stone room.

Bale took a quick look around before turning the fledgling 'Power' next to him. "Is this your room, Becca?"

The girl quickly nodded, looking none to happy to be there.

"All right. Remember, the path we travel in is the path we have to travel out." Bale stated. "It's the only way to guarantee we don't trip any alarms. No side tracks. No shortcuts. The exact same path. So let's move. And everyone keeps alert. We do not depend solely on the snake to guide us."

The four moved quickly from the room to the hallway, starting down it at a pace just quick enough to allow Roland to safely check for wards. When none were found, Matterson began to get worried.

"This doesn't fit the boy's pattern at all." He commented to his brother as they moved along.

Bale answered with a quick shake of his head, but said nothing.

"Either he's very confident no one could ever locate him..........."

"...or he feels he no longer has anything worth protecting." Bale finished for him in a somber tone.

"We'll find her, Orin." Matterson stated firmly. "We'll get her back."

In front of them Roland suddenly pulled himself up in Becca's hand, his tail twitching nervously about.

"Well, you can stop wondering where all the wards are." He stated. "Because we have one directly ahead."

Bale turned to his niece. "Becca?"

The girl was staring hard at the area ahead of them, as though trying to see something that wasn't quite clear. "Yes. There's a ward there. But it isn't very strong. And it's very simple by design."

"Where does it go?"

Becca studied the area for a few moments before turning to her uncle with a slight shrug. "It leads outside." She replied. "But I have no idea why someone would have use for such a thing."

"A simple form of 'pest control', I think." Eric answered. "Someone gets into your house who is uninvited, they simply walk into a ward and find themselves outside again. It is not as uncommon as you think, child."

Becca considered the information, then moved on, once again holding Roland out in front of her on her palm. But they didn't get more than a few feet when Roland stopped them again.

"Hang on." He stated. "I think we got something else up ahead."

The group pulled to a quick stop as Roland tested the air several times with his tongue.

"Yup. Definitely a change in the air up ahead again."

Bale frowned at the little snake. "Are you sure? I don't sense anything."

"You can test it for yourself if you like." Roland commented, turning to the two 'Power's' behind them. "But remember that you brought me along specifically for my rather unique ability. And just for your information, the air gets denser when there's something about, like a spell or a ward. People can't feel the change. But to a snake it's plain as day."

Matterson stepped forward and waved his hand across the space in front of them, then waited expectantly as he watched the area before them.

"There's nothing there." He stated, stepping forward. "I think this little snake is......"

A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him sharply back. "Don't be so hasty, Eric." Bale stated, staring intently at the area before them. "The snake is right. We brought him along for a specific reason. Because he can sense things we may not. So lets see how good our guide really is."

Holding up his hand, a small, glowing sphere suddenly appeared in it. Bale tossed it a few times in his hand, then finally threw it down the corridor.

Almost as soon as it left Bale's hand, only inches from where he had stopped Eric, the sphere stopped short and bounced back to him, like a rubber ball hitting a solid wall.

"There's definitely something there." Bale stated, catching the sphere and dissolving it quickly as he turned to Becca. "Do you have any idea what sort of ward this one is, Becca?"

But the girl shook her head. "I don't sense anything." She stated with a slight tremor in her voice. "To me, there is no ward there."

"May it's not a ward this time." Eric spoke up suddenly.

Bale turned to him. "Meaning?"

"It could be a spell." Eric replied. "Or better, a trap. One woven into the area between the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. When it simply becomes a part of the corridor, it's harder to sense."

"Any ideas on the purpose of it?"

"It could simply signal an alarm to Richard. Or it could do more serious damage. Of one thing I am sure. Disturb it and we won't like the response."

"He'll be expecting magical attacks on it." Bale stated, looking over the area. "So we can bet he's compensated for nearly anything we could come up with."

A small smile crept over the Deatheater's face. "Then we'll have to try something a little more unconventional."

Holding his arm in front of him, a long sliver of light elongated from the top and bottom of his hand until it was about four feet in length. It then began to expand until it formed a clear rectangle about two feet wide, with one end tapered to form a razor sharp edge. Holding the sharp edge before him, the Deatheater began to approach the area where the spell was, As the razor sharp edge made contact with the spell, it glowed a bright red for a few seconds. Eric carefully tilted his head slightly as thought listening for any sound. But finally the glow died down until only the thin, elongated piece of glass Eric was holding remained.

Pushing it forward a few inches at a time, he finally stepped back to examine his handiwork. For all it would appear to anyone, there was now simply a long, thin piece of glass standing up of it's own accord in the center of the corridor. But with a quick spoken word from it's caster, the rectangle began to expand, widening until it formed a four foot high tunnel through the spell's parameters.

"I believe we may now proceed." He stated.

Bale gave a low, tempered sigh. "I hope Mr. Black is going to be able to keep that boy busy for a very long time."

* * *

Back at the castle Orion was admitting to himself he clearly had his hands full with Richard. Without Bo's help, he seriously doubted he would have lasted more than a few minutes against the 'Power'.

"Bo," Orion whispered to the boggart as the two crouched behind one of the larger boulders, a spell crashing into it and sending debris flying as the 'Power' gave a gleeful giggle from the other side, "we need to slow him down some. Any ideas?"

The boggart quickly shook his head.

"Come on, Auror!" The 'Power' taunted from the other side of the rock. "This hasn't even been a challenge. I thought Aurors were suppose to be good."

Another spell hit the rock, moving it slightly as Orion quickly braced it.

"All right, maybe I have an idea here." He stated, looking up at a collection of rocks piled a few feet away from where they were crouched behind the boulder. "Seeing as this boy likes to play with wards so much, lets see if I can show him a new one. Bo," Orion directed the boggart, "I need a ward placed just in front of Richard. One that allows spells to go through, but nothing else. Can you do that?"

The boggart quickly nodded.

Orion didn't bother questioning if the ward was in place or not. As soon as Bo nodded, he knew it was set up as he had ask.

Moving to the other side, Orion set a quick spell in place around the pile of rocks, then went back to where he had been. Taking careful aim, he wove a spell around a large, thick, low hanging branch just behind Richard, pulling it back as far as the branch would allow without breaking off.

Holding the branch in place, Orion gave it a good shake, catching Richard's attention and causing him to turn around.

Just as the boy turned, Orion released the spell.

The branch caught Richard just below the waist, pushing him forward with it's momentum and throwing him directly into the ward Bo had set in place.

The 'Power' disappeared, only to reappear a fraction of a second later just below where the pile of rocks sat. Releasing the second spell, the rocks cascaded down on the disoriented boy, who seemed to have no time for more than a brief glance upward before the rocks hit.

"OK. That is seriously gonna piss him off." Orion stated, turning to his silent companion. "Get us out of here, Bo. Somewhere I can think for a few minutes, but keep an eye on him."

The two immediately disappeared.

An instant later Orion found himself in a small cave, peering out through a hole in the collapsed castle wall at where the dust cloud from his sprung trap was still settling. As a slight breeze cleared the scene, he saw Richard standing with his hand held over his head, a shield keeping even the dust cloud out of the area around him. He hadn't expected the trap to stop Richard, but seeing the cuts on his arms and face, Orion could tell it had caught him enough by surprise that the 'Power' had not escaped completely unscathed. And from the expression on his face, Orion could tell it had done what he wanted it to do to perfection. It had indeed seriously pissed the boy off.

And now Richard would play his game.

"What do you think!?" The 'Power' yelled at the area around him. "That your stupid little trick would stop me? All you have done is guarantee that you will die slowly. I'll see to that. You will beg me to kill you before even an hour has past. Do you hear me!? I will watch you suffer as none ever has before! I will keep you alive for days, screaming in agony! Listening to you go mad from the pain, before I final get bored with you and put you out of your misery. You will see my power! And what I can do! See all of it before I end your miserable, worthless, paltry life."

"Great magic, does this boy like the sound of his own voice or what?" Orion sighed.

A soft trill behind him seemed to concur.

"OK." Orion stated, turning to the pile of black robes hunched over in the small space behind him as he quickly conjured up a small sling-shot. "A quick one-two shot, then get us moving again. Something on the other end would be nice this time, OK?"

The boggart gave a soft trill.

Orion lined up his wand and let a spell fly.

It struck exactly where he wanted it to, hitting a rock three feet from where Richard stood bellowing his threats to the air around him.

With a startled jump, the boy spun about and aimed his spell at the area closest to where he was sure the attack had come from. The spell erupted in a shower if dust and debris.

As Richard stood and waited, Orion slipped a small rock into the band of the sling-shot and let it fly as close to where he could calculate he had last seen Richard as possible.

A single solid yelp of pain, followed by a string of curses answered his efforts just before they disappeared.

He reappeared exactly where he had instructed Bo to take them, watching Richard, still spewing his curses, fire shot after shot at the area where they had been.

As he watched, Orion slowly shook his head. "Something isn't right here." He mumbled.

The boggart tapped him on the shoulder.

Orion turned, watching the boggart go through a series of short, curt gestures.

"Well, look at him." Orion directed the boggart's attention to where Richard was still lobbing spells at the castle debris. "He's firing off spells like a third year student. He could destroy this place if he wanted to. But by my guess he's hardly expending any effort at all to the task. Why?"

The boggart quickly tapped Orion on the shoulder again. Turning to him again, Orion watched as Bo fired off a series of rapid gestures.

"The house." Orion questioned carefully. But suddenly understanding dawned. "The house!" He repeated. "While he's here fighting us, he's still protecting the house." The Unspeakable quickly turned back to the outside with a smug smile. "That's gotta be taxing the old storage cells a little, protecting something as big as Becca said it was." Orion gleefully tapped his wand in his hand. "Well, let's see if we can't drain the old battery a little further. Which may just buy Orin the time he needs."

* * *

Deep within Richard's house the three were making slow but steady progress, being led onward under Roland's direction.

"Hold up!" The little snake said suddenly as he traveled in front of the group, held out on Becca's open palm. "We got something here."

Stepping forward carefully, Becca stared in front of herself as though transfixed by some invisible scene.

"This.....this is unlike any ward I have ever felt before." She stated in a breathless hush. "This.......it calls to me. It's warm....almost like a living thing. It's like...........it's...like......"

".....home." Bale finished for her.

Becca turned to him. "Yes. That's it." She stated. "It feels like.....like home." She turned to the ward, then quickly back to Bale again. "Is this our home?" She asked with sudden understanding lighting her eyes. "Is this a ward back to our realm?"

"So it would seem." Bale replied, studying the invisible doorway with a stoic expression that matched his tone.

Eric stepped up to the ward, running his hand carefully over it before pulling back with a frown. "Idiot boy." He sneered at the invisible doorway. "Why would he create something like this here? For what purpose?"

"Maybe it's a different sort of trap." Bale suggested. "Look at how Becca responds to it. She said it calls to her. Beckons to her. What better trap than one you don't want to escape?"

The sneer remained on Eric's face. "Well it doesn't call to me. Nor does it beckon."

"Maybe that because you've simply been here so long you don't remember home any longer, Eric." Bale replied. "Perhaps if you were as young as Becca you'd feel differently."

A ball of light shot to life in the other 'Power's' palm as he brought his hand up. "You wish me to show you how I feel about 'home'?" He stated savagely.

But Bale stopped him. "Leave it be, Eric!" He warned. "Disturbing any of the wards could trigger an alarm."

The glowing sphere disappeared as quickly as it came up. "True enough." He stated. "But that is a risk we should well consider when we leave this place. This ward should be destroyed."

"Why?"

"An open doorway back to our realm could well be serving as another power source for this child. He could be drawing off of the energy there. Supplementing his power base."

Bale considered the suggestion, then gave a slight nod. "You could be right. We'll mark it so we can find it easily." He added, throwing a glowing sphere of his own at the doorway, which the sphere burst over the top of, showering the area around the doorway in a faint. shimmering light, clearly outlining the ward in the corridor. "We can deal with it easily enough on the way back." He stated as they each carefully stepped around the shimmering doorway. "Possibly with a delayed spell that will do it's work long after we are gone."

Five traps, seven wards, and a host of various other spells mixed in, and the four had moved only a few hundred yards in fifteen minutes. But the more difficult the path became, the better Bale felt. This was more of what he expected. Something that veritably screamed that they were on the right path, headed towards something Richard desperately did not want them to reach.

"Ward." Roland announced flatly for the eighth time.

Bale was about to ask Becca to identify the ward when he noted the change in her stance.

The girl wasn't facing the ward as a puzzle to be solved as she had the others. She was practically cowering from it.

"Becca?" Bale asked her gently. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The girl gave her head a slight shake. "I don't like this one." She stated. "It's.....it's cold. And there.....there is something...........something is different this time."

"She's right." Eric commented from his stand in the rear of the group. "The air around this ward is very cold."

"Like it leads somewhere cold." Bale stated.

Becca was slowly taking steps back away from the area. "I don't like this place." She said quietly.

Bale reached out and took her arm. "Becca, is this the ward to the cellar? We need to know for sure. Or do we need to go on? You're the only one who can tell us."

The girl paused for a few seconds. Bale could still feel the pull against the grip he had on her arm. But slowly the pressure lessened as Becca steeled herself up and took several steps towards the ward.

"It's very dark." She said in the same quiet voice. "And very hard to see. But....." Becca squinted as though trying to see something just beyond her vision. But suddenly her eyes flew open as she cried out. "Connie!"

In a single, swift movement, Becca dove for the ward, disappearing just as one would have expected her to fall forward onto the floor.

With a loud sigh, the other two 'Power's' exchanged a quick look, then followed her through the ward.

**Q&A**

ilovesiriusblack:

**All my favourite characters back in one place! I'm not sure how safe it will be for all three powers to be in the same place at the same time I think they may get stuck but I wouldn't like to be Richard when Eric gets his hands on him. From the last chapter do eric and orin also kow about the elder power that richard is looking for is that whose power they were suggesting drawing off?As ever looking forward to the next The hockey was amazing apart from the ridiculous time that I had to stop up until to watch it.**

You have a valid point, Dear. All three 'Powers' in one place is likely not the best idea. But Eric and Orin need Becca's help, so they have little choice.

Richard is definitely not winning friends and influencing people at this point. Least of all Eric. And Eric Matterson is definitely the last person on the face of the earth you ever want to have mad at you.

Do Eric and Orin know who the elder 'Power' is? Well, they think they do. They are each assuming it is the other. Are they right? Time will tell.

OK, I may not have understood this next question right, so I'm answering it the way I read it. I hope I'm right.

Orin wasn't suggesting that he and Eric draw off of the elder's power at all. There would be no point. That would sort of like be drawing off of yourself.

All three of them sort of draw water from the same well, as it were. What makes them different is how much water is in each one's bucket. The size of your bucket is a combination of your age and your experience in this realm. Since the 'Powers' are now forced to manipulate magic almost as though it were a force outside of themselves, rather than it 'being' them, they have to more or less learn how to do that from scratch.

Richard is trying to bypass a few steps. And in an upcoming chapter, Orin comments on just how dangerous that is.

All reviews are as of 3/7/2010.

And remember;

Alimony: Like pumping gas into another man's car.


	40. Chapter 40

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FORTY: ****RESCUE-PART TWO**

Back at the castle, Orion sat suspended above the castle's grounds on a shield, looking over the edge as he watched Richard launching an impressive attack against one of his latest decoys.

"This boy seriously has some impulse control issues." He commented softly as he watched the attack go on.

A soft trill behind him sounded in agreement.

Orion turned back to the boggart. "You're sure this thing is guarding us proper?" He asked.

The boggart made a series of gestures, then pointed solidly to the shield holding them safely out of harm's way.

"I'm just asking." Orion stated in the same hushed voice. "It wouldn't do well for us if he could see us or launch an attack in our direction, now would it?"

A soft exhale ruffled the cloth in front of the boggart's face.

"All right, all right." Orion stated, leaning over the edge again. "Uh-oh. Looks like our boy is losing steam. Can't have that."

Directing his wand towards the castle, Orion loosened a pile of rocks that caused a small shower of debris to fall off to Richard's right, adding a short spell fired from the same area for good measure.

The activity re-ignited the boy's anger as he instantly turned towards it and fired off several bolts of light at the area in general.

"Run!" He yelled at the now decimated area. "Cower like rats! It'll all end the same. I'll find you! And when I do you'll regret these stupid games! You should accept your fate now! Accept that you are beaten and I'll make your death quick and painless."

"You feel like admitting that you're beaten yet, Bo?" Orion asked the boggart.

Below a brilliant streak of light suddenly flew out from the crumbled rocks of the castle, catching Richard in the side and causing him to cry out in pain as he fired off several spells in return at the general area the light had come from.

Orion shook his head as he watched the scene below. "Didn't think so." He added.

* * *

Stepping out of the ward on the other side, the two 'Power's' found themselves in a dark, damp room whose only light was a dull green glow coming from the cage set before them.

Within the cage, a lone figure lay crumpled on the ground, it's long brown hair a tangled cover for it's face.

"Connie!" Bale echoed Becca's cry. A cry that was repeated almost simultaneously as Eric joined his brother, reaching for the glowing bars as he ran to the cage.

But a hand suddenly seized Eric's arm and pulled him back.

"Careful, Eric!" Orin hissed at his brother. "Those bars are powerfully warded. There's no telling what they might do to you if you touch them."

Eric raised his hand. "Easily remedied."

But again Orin grabbed his arm and forced it down. "No!" He hissed at his brother again. "You think he hasn't charmed those wards to alert him if they come down? He'll be back here before we get her out." Orin studied the unmoving figure laying on the dirt floor, his face a mask of concern and worry. "We have to get her out of there!"

Eric was now carefully running his hands just a fraction above the bars before him. "We will." He replied.

"Soon!" Bale emphasized.

"The wards respond to something being in the cage." Eric stated, still examining them. "Something living. All we need is 'Connie'. Not necessarily her body. If we take her out, the body could likely survive long enough to give us time to escape before it dies. That is what likely will sound the alarm to Richard."

Bale stared over at his brother. "One of us could act as the conduit to get her past the bars, then as her host until we could get her safely out of here. Giving her a new body after that won't be that difficul.........."

"No." A voice rasp from the cage.

The two brother's looked up in surprise as the figure in the cage slowly raised itself on it's arms.

"Connie!?" Bale crouched outside the bars, careful not to touch them. "Just rest. We're going to get you out of there."

"Not like that." The woman barely rasped out. "I won't leave her behind."

Eric joined his brother at the cage bars. "Connie. Be reasonable. It is just a body. Your host died a long time ago."

But the figure shook her head. "No!" She replied with a little more force. "I'll not leave her behind. She was good to me. She was kind."

"Then she would not want you to sacrifice yourself for her body, Connie. You know that is true."

But Connie shook her head again. "She deserves better than leaving her body for that.....creature.....to desecrate. I won't leave her behind, Eric." Was her final word as she collapsed again.

Eric seemed to loose patients as he stood up. Looking about, his gaze quickly settling on Becca, who still held Roland in her palm. Eric pointed a finger at both of them.

"Becca, you remember how to get to your room?"

The girl quickly nodded.

"You are to go there as fast as you can. Do not disturb any of the wards. Once you are there you are to wait. You." He stated, pointing his finger now at Roland. "Once Becca reached her room, I will apparate you back to the Black house." He stated between clenched teeth. "You are to find Sirius and you tell him what is going on. Ask him his opinion. When you have it, call my name and I'll bring you back."

Without even waiting for Roland to answer, Eric sent him on his way.

* * *

At the Black estate, Sirius was waiting with Arabella and Harry for the others to return with Connie. A small 'pop' and the reappearance of Roland was not exactly what they expected.

"Roland?" Sirius asked, walking over to where the little snake sat on the table next to Bale's model. "Where are the others?"

"Bit of a hang-up there." Roland replied. "We found the sister all right, but it appears she has some attachment issues to her body and refuses to leave it behind. The other two are fresh out of ideas and so they sent me here to ask you your opinion of what to do next. So let's have it." The little snake finish, sitting raised up over his coiled up body as he stared expectantly at Sirius.

Who only stared back.

"Roland," Harry said, "Sirius isn't a parseltongue. He doesn't understand you."

"Did he actually say something?" Sirius asked, looking up at his godson.

Harry nodded quickly. "Roland said they found Connie but there's some sort of trouble...."

"She's in a cage." Roland said.

"She's in a cage...." Harry repeated.

"A warded cage."

"A warded cage...."

"And they need to get her out."

"And they need to get her out."

"That's it."

"That's it." Harry dutifully repeated, looking up at Sirius.

Sirius frowned at the explanation. "That's not much to work with." He stated, turning to Roland. "Are they at the house?"

The small snake nodded.

"Can you take me there?"

Roland pulled back slightly at the request, his eyes widening slightly. "Take you there!?" He stated, turning to Harry. "Eric only told me to bring back a suggestion, not a person."

"Eric told Roland only to get your suggestion, not you." Harry translated.

"Well, they obviously need help and I can't do this long distance. That'll take time, which they sound like they are running out of. And I think best on my feet." Sirius stated, picking the little snake up. "How are you getting back?"

Roland stared up at the man for a few seconds, considering the situation. He knew Eric wouldn't like this, but he saw Sirius' point as well, and time was rapidly running out on a clock where they had no idea how many minutes were left.

With a sigh Roland turned back to Harry as he wrapped his tail about one of Sirius' fingers. "Tell him to hold onto me and don't let go. And close his eyes." He added for good measure.

Harry turned to Sirius. "He said hold onto him and close your eyes."

Sirius did as he was told.

Roland gave a deep sigh, then dutifully called out, "Eric.".

* * *

"This is hardly what I asked for." Came an extremely displeased sounding voice.

"He made me." Roland was replying as Becca led Sirius back through the ward and into the cellar room.

Standing in front of them now was a very unhappy looking Eric Matterson.

"Eric, did they set off any alarms?" Bale asked quickly.

But the other 'Power' shook his head. "When I realized the snake wasn't coming back alone I made allowances for it. And the hole in the ward around the house is undetectable. Nothing was disturbed."

"Personally, I think you're way past the 'disturbed' line, mate." Roland commented.

Eric gave the little snake a dark look before turning to Sirius. "Very well, Mr. Black. I hope I didn't adjust my plans simply so you could pay us a social call."

"Hardly." Sirius replied, looking around himself. "Where are we?"

"In Richard's house. In the cellar, we believe. We were brought here by a ward, so it could, in fact, be anywhere. Our current problem is behind you."

Sirius quickly turned around to find himself facing the green glowing bars of Connie's cage.

"That's the warded cage Roland mentioned?" Sirius asked.

"Heavily warded." Eric emphasized. "We could get Connie out........if we leave her body behind. She refuses to cooperate with that plan."

"What do you know about the wards?" Sirius asked, still looking over the cage carefully.

"The cage is the same one Becca had been in." Eric replied, glancing at the fledgling 'Power' who nodded her affirmation. "It responds to our magic. Pure magic. None of us could go through the bars. A regular wizard might, but we're not sure. And even so, we believe Richard has compensated for that by charming the wards. If they're disturbed or if whatever is in the cage dies, he's alerted."

"It seems to me," Sirius stated, still looking over the cage, "that you're dealing with an awful lot of assumptions, and no real facts about this trap."

"He didn't leave a manual behind." The Deatheater sneered at him.

Sirius turned to the young girl standing off to the side. "Maybe he did. Or better yet, you brought your own. Becca?" Sirius asked her. "This the same cage you were in before?"

The girl nodded.

"What can you remember about it?"

"I didn't like it." Came the blunt answer.

"Can you expand on that?" Sirius asked. "What did the cage do if you touched the bars?"

"It hurt." Came the equally blunt answer.

Sirius turned to Bale briefly. "This girl's a wellspring of information, isn't she?" He asked under his breath.

Bale merely raised an eyebrow in answer as Sirius turned back to Becca. "How did you escape, Becca?"

"Heudros lured Richard into his cage, on the other side," She stated, pointing to the other cage next to Connie's. "Then I stunned him. Heudros and I discovered that, because Richard had already drained off some of my power, the wards didn't respond to me as badly, and I could actually reach my arm through the bars for a short period of time. But it still hurt." She added for good measure. "After Richard was unconscious, Heudros was able to bring down the wards easily."

Sirius turned back to the cage studying it once again.

"We haven't got a great deal of time, Mr. Black." Eric stated after a few moments past.

"What if we take the wards down?" Bale suggested. "Your brother might be able to buy us the time to still escape with Connie."

"And he might not." Eric countered.

Sirius remained as he was, still studying the bars. But finally he shook his head. "Take the wards down." He said, turning to Bale. "It won't matter."

"Won't matter?" Eric asked skeptically. "That's what's guarding her. Becca confirmed that."

Sirius turned to the other 'Power'. "Suppose in your house you have something of great personal value." He posed the question to the Deatheater. "You keep it in your house, in a box with a combination lock on it, and you think it's safe. But someone still manages to come into your house, open the lock, and steal your prize. What would you do?"

Eric considered the question as he turned back to the glowing bars. "I'd change the combination." He replied slowly, thinking over what Sirius was suggesting.

"Meaning?" Bale asked.

"The wards on the bars are likely now only a first line of defense." Sirius replied. "But someone has already managed to beat them, so the real trap lies somewhere else. And I think Eric was closer than he realized with his suggestion."

"Which is?"

"I don't think the body in the cage has to die to alert Richard to trouble. In fact, if Connie is already weak, Richard may be using the power of the wards around the cage specifically to keep that body alive, rather than defense." Sirius said. "But if you don't want someone to steal your prize....."

"....you make sure it's never removed." Eric finished as he started at the cage with new understanding. "It makes sense, Orin." He stated, turning to his brother. "It's not the bars that alert Richard to us trying to rescue Connie. It's if we take her out of the cage."

"Then how do we get her out?" Bale asked.

Sirius gave the three 'Power's' a long look. "Something needs to take her place." He replied.

"One of us." Bale said, turning to his brother.

"That's easy enough to decide." Eric stated with a small, mirthless smile. "Which of us is the best at transfiguration?"

Bale considered the situation. "That still leave us with how do we get into the cage."

Eric turned back to the bars, considering them for several moments. "The wards are pure magic. I can absorb that for a few moments at least. That will show no disruption in the wards and should not alert Richard. I'll stay in Connie's place until you are safely out of the house. I can use the ward halfway along the path to leave the house. That should throw him off my trail quickly enough."

Bale was still staring at his brother. "What about you? If something happens, and he comes back here before we've left, Eric, his first order of business to get the power he needs to face us will be to kill Connie."

"And he thinks she is halfway to her death as it is. I'll have the element of surprise."

Bale paused as he thought over the plan, then turned to Sirius. "What is your opinion of this, oh master strategist?"

Sirius didn't flinch for a second under the man's stare. "I'm not denying it has certain elements of very high risk." He replied. "But I think Eric's plan is the best option we have right now. The only hitch is that Connie will have to leave the cage on her own. No one else can enter it. The exchange has to be exact. Inch for inch."

"Leave that part to me." Bale replied, finally turned back to Eric with a small sigh. "You'll get out as soon as you can?"

"I wasn't planning on staying." He replied stoically.

"Are you sure? I know you , Eric. Revenge is something you enjoy too much for your own good sometimes."

"As soon as you leave, I'll follow." The other 'Power' repeated.

Bale paused for a moment, but finally nodded. "All right. Open the bars."

Turning once more to the bars, Eric carefully slipped his hand around one, slowly curling each finger about it until he had a firm grip on it.

"And?" Bale asked his brother.

Eric stood motionless for a few seconds. "I believe Mr. Black may be right in his assumption of where the trap lies here." He replied finally. "The child is not exerting a great deal of time or effort into these wards. But they are still not toys. I can hold them open, but not for very long."

"It shouldn't take that long once she's awake."

Eric wrapped his other hand around the next bar and again slowly curled his fingers about it. The instant he had a solid grip on both bars. The green line below his hands disappeared.

Holding his hand up, Bale immediately send a single, flowing wisp of light into the cage through the opening Eric created. It lighted over the unconscious woman, then encircled her.

"Connie." Bale called to her in a hushed tone. "Connie! Wake up. We need you to wake up now."

With a small twitch, the body slowly raised itself on its elbows, the head giving a small shake.

"Connie!" Bale called to her again. "Come to me. Quickly! We can't keep the cage open for very long."

Turning to the voice, Connie quickly centered her attention on the scene before her even as she was pulling herself up to her knees and pulling her legs under her.

"That's it!" Bale encouraged her. "Come to me. We'll get you out of here."

Pulling herself up on wobbling legs, Connie managed a few steps. But her strength gave out on her and she collapsed a few feet from the doorway Eric had made.

"Connie. Get up!" Bale called to her in the same hushed tone. "We can't come to you. You have to come to us."

With sheer determination etched in her expression, Connie forced herself to her feet again and stumbled towards the opening. As she crossed the invisible line, Eric mirrored her body part for body part, reconfiguring his own body as he took her place in the cage.

Outside the cage, Connie collapsed into her brother's arms as the green bars flared to life again behind her. A perfect duplicate of her now staring out at the others through them.

"Get her out of here!" Eric hissed at them. "We have no way of knowing for sure if any alarms were set off or not."

Turning to his voice, Connie quickly realized what was happening and pulled against Bale's hold on her.

"No!" She cried out weakly. "Eric! No!"

"Go!" Eric ordered them.

"Connie!" Bale tried to calm her as they headed for the ward entrance. "He's only staying until we leave." Bale turned quickly back to his brother. "Remember that ward on your way out." He reminded Eric. "We can't leave it open."

"Just go!" Eric hissed at them. "That irritating child may already be on his way back."

Supporting Connie between them, Bale and Sirius headed for the ward, with Becca and Roland following close behind. At the gateway Bale stopped one last time and turned back to his brother, vigilantly watching them from behind the glowing green bars.

"Go!" Eric snapped sharply once more.

"The others may leave, but I will wait until you arrive." Bale promised him, and stepped into the ward with Connie and the others.

On the other side of the ward, Bale quickly retraced the path back to Becca's room as quickly as he could.

But as they approached the ward leading to their realm, Connie slowed, all but forcing them to stop as her gaze fixed on the glowing outline of the gateway.

Bale tried to hurry her along. "Come on, Connie. We have to hurry. Every second is dangerous for Eric. You don't want to delay his escape."

But the woman seemed not to have heard him, transfixed on the gateway. "That is a doorway back to our realm." She whispered.

Bale decided to try and quickly pacify her curiosity in hopes of getting her moving again. "Yes. We believe Richard is using it to draw power from. That is why I reminded Eric to destroy it on his way back."

But the explanation didn't help keep Connie moving. Instead it brought her to a complete stop as she turned to Bale. "Destroy it?" She stated in a firmer tone. "He can't destroy it, Orin. He can only...." She paused to take a breath and re-steady herself. "....he can only close the gateway. And that....that has to be done from the inside. Not here."

Bale stared at her. "How do you know this?"

"My host.....she worked extensively with the gateway. She never called another. But the gateway fascinated her. And she taught me all she learned as she in turn tried to learn from me with her questions. Eric....." She paused for another breath. But this time her legs failed her and she collapsed completely to the floor.

"Connie!" Bale was at her side immediately, trying to help her up. "Connie, we need.........."

But the woman waved him off. "Orin, listen to me!" She stated in a firmer voice once more. "Eric......can not close the gateway. Not from this side."

"Then we'll figure out another way. But not now!" He stated, glancing around them quickly. "Becca!" He said quickly. "Stay alert for anyone else near us. Put up a shield and leave it there. We can't be taken by surprise."

But Connie raised her voice once more. "Wait!" She called to the younger woman. Turning to Bale she focus a steady gaze on him as she spoke in a rush of words. "Orin, listen to me. I am seriously injured. You know this. And you know only your power keeps me alive now. Without it I would already be dead."

"And I will keep you so." Bale replied. "We'll get you back to Black's house, his wife....."

"...is a remarkable healer." Connie finished for him, shaking her head again. "But even with Becca's help, she can not save me. You know this is true, Orin. This body is seriously injured inside. It will not survive. And with it, I am injured. My magic is too weak and this realm drains it further with each passing second." She turned a determined stare to the gateway. "But the stupid child has not only offered me a means of survival, but one last slice of revenge for the evil he has done to me."

With her last strength, Connie pulled herself up and, shoving her brother to the side, dove headlong into the ward.

As the body entered the gate, it paused as though it had bumped into some invisible shield, but then slowly dissolved as it passed through the ward, as though it were made of dust, leaving Bale with nothing firm to hold onto, even as he tried to stop her, grabbing for her legs.

"Connie!" Bale cried out after her.

Sirius grabbed the 'Power' by from behind, stopping him from going through the ward after her.

"Orin! Stop!" He stated fiercely. "She's gone!"

Bale shook his head. "No! I can reach her still! She is just on the other side. I can feel her still!"

Just as Sirius was considering letting him try, a powerful quake shook the floor beneath them.

Sirius barely managed to get back to his feet as Becca crashed into him, still holding onto Roland. "What was that?!" He asked.

In answer to his question, the gateway before them suddenly grew to a brilliant blaze of light, then abruptly flared up once more and disappeared.

"No!" Bale cried out, reaching for where the ward had been.

Becca stared at the empty space through misted eyes. "The ward....is gone." She replied in a whisper. "Connie must have closed it.....after she went through. Just as she said she would."

Bale stood slightly leaned over, as though waiting for another shock wave. For several seconds the 'Power' didn't even move. But finally he turned back to the others with a fierce determination in his stance now.

"We have to go back and get Eric. The closing of that ward was bound to alert Richard that something is wrong."

Sirius stopped him. "But won't Eric come to us? Knowing something has happened?"

Bale shook his head. "He said he would stay until we were safely out of the house. And that is just what he will do. I know my brother, Mr. Black."

Sirius didn't argue further as they turned and headed back to the ward.

* * *

Back at the castle, Orion watched as Richard suddenly broke off his attack, turning to stare behind him as though something had suddenly attracted his attention.

"Heads up. Bo." Orion warned his silent companion. "Something's up."

The 'Power' stared at the trees for a few moments. But the tension building in his stance was unmistakable.

"Noooo!" The boy suddenly cried out, heading for the trees and what Orion was sure was a ward back to his house.

"Bo. He stays here." Orion stated quickly.

The boggart never moved, but as Orion watched Richard below them. He knew the ward had been either moved or completely eliminated.

Richard walked for a few feet, then stopped, turned around, and retraced his steps. When that failed to get any results, he tried another area close by, going through the same steps. Finally the boy stopped and turned a furious expression back to the castle.

"Still playing games, Mr. Black?" He stated in a low, menacing tone. "You think your stupid tricks can stop me from leaving here?"

Orion stared down at him through the shield. "Actually, yes I do." He said to himself as he turned again to the boggart. "You think your stupid tricks can keep him here, Bo?" He asked him.

A soft giggle came from under the clothe.

Orion turned back to see what Richard was doing. "Thought so."

* * *

True to his word, Eric was still inside of the cage when the others returned. "What is going on!?" He demanded. "Why have you come back?" But his gaze quickly swept those before him. "Where is Connie?" He asked in a softer tone.

Bale slowly turned to him. "Connie said.....that we could only close the gateway to our realm from the inside." He answered.

When his brother didn't continue, Eric finished the statement for him. "And so she went through herself."

Bale only nodded in response.

Stepping back, Eric fanned his arms out as he stood in the cage. "Not much point in stealth any longer I would assume," He stated in a fierce tone. The bars flared to life and then disappeared. "And let the little cretin come. I will gladly send him back where he came from....or worse."

But Bale grabbed his brother's arm and dragged him towards the ward. "Another day, Eric. We have others with us who need protecting." He reminded him. "Now is not the time to face this loathsome child."

The other 'Power' didn't seem to need much convincing as he fell in with the rest of the group as they headed back for the ward out of the cellar.

"Let's hope our other Mr. Black can keep that boy occupied for a while longer."

* * *

At the castle Orion figured he had likely just handed his boggart the most fun he had had in years. Below them Richard was all but destroying the ground he stood on trying to escape the area. But the block to his wards or apparating that Bo had set up was preventing any attempt he came up with.

Leaning over the edge of the shield, Orion smiled at the scene below.

"Filthy degenerates of your race!" Richard screamed. "You have no idea what you have done! What this action will earn you! Play your stupid games! I will have my revenge on you! And you will pay! I swear it!!! You! Will! Pay!" He yelled, accenting each of his last words with a blast of power at different areas of the castle.

"Oh, Becca is not going to be a happy camper." Orion lamented.

A soft trill behind him agreed.

* * *

Making their way quickly back through the corridors of the house, Bale, Eric, Becca, Roland, and Sirius carefully sidestepped each ward along the way. Eric only paused briefly as they passed where the ward to their realm had been, quickly checking to make sure it was, in fact, truly closed before moving on.

When they came to the doorway held open by Eric's spell, they each carefully stepped through the opening before Eric turned and collapsed the brace, pulling it free from the trap. "No need to leave our secrets behind." Eric answered Sirius' questioning stare. "Let the little cretin wonder how we got past it."

A few yards down the hallway they quickly approached the ward leading to the outside. Bale had Becca check it again for good measure before they stepped through it, making sure it was the same ward and would indeed take them outside the house. When they didn't return, the other assumed it was safe and followed.

All five soon found themselves indeed outside. But expecting to find themselves in a forested lawn or in an open yard of some sort, they were a bit taken aback to find themselves instead standing in a musty, dank alleyway, facing a street full of people busily passing them by.

"Must have been the back door." Eric commented sullenly.

Reviews, were there any, would be as of 3/28/2010.

And remember;

A Bargain: Anything that costs no more today than it did last week.


	41. Chapter 41

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: ****FACING FACTS**

Back at the house Eric was deep in discussion with Orion and Sirius, going over the events each had encounter in their individual missions.

As soon as Eric, Bale, Sirius, Becca, and Roland had returned to the Black Estate, Eric had sent out a call to Orion and Bo, letting them know they also could return to the safety of the Estate.

As Eric and Sirius talked, Orion's gaze kept drifting over to his superior.

Sitting by himself in a chair facing the fire, Bale had contributed almost nothing to the discussion, allowing Eric to more or less lead the debriefing. Instead he sat mostly staring at the floor as Becca sat in a chair near him, her face etched with concern.

Orion had seen Bale many times after the loss of one of his agents. It had happened several times over the course of his years with the department. It was the very nature of their jobs that sometimes someone was killed on a mission or in a fight. But while Bale always took the loss hard, he rarely let any emotion slip out over just how he felt over losing one of his own.

But this had been one of his own kind, Orion reminded himself. One he considered himself close enough to to consider family. A sister whom he had obviously loved very much.

Bale's lack of contribution to the session did not go un-noticed by Eric, who had tried several time to engage his brother in conversation, trying to draw out his opinions and suggestions. But each attempt met with such a lackluster response that the Deatheater was rapidly losing patience.

"What is the matter with you, Orin!?" He finally demanded.

Orion quickly stepped up to his superior's defense. "You honestly have to ask that?"

Matterson turned to him for a second, then returned his attention to his brother. "This is because of Connie?" He asked with genuine surprise. "Orin, Connie made a choice when she went after Richard. A poor one. Choices have consequences. We can not change that simple fact. She was impulsive, and we tried many times to warn her to curb that behavior. She would not listen to us."

"She was younger than us." Bale replied in a monotone voice. "We should have watched over her better."

Matterson paced the small area inside the group. "And we tried, Orin. We did our best. But she was determined not to listen to us."

"That doesn't change the fact that we failed her." Came the same stoic reply.

Matterson seemed to simply loose patience with the matter. "There is no 'fact' that we failed her, Orin. She failed herself. She chose not to listen to us over and over again.

But the fact it does not change is that we have to get moving, Orin! This child isn't sitting around nursing his wounds, you can bet on that! He is at his home, planning." He crouched by Bale's chair as he leaned closer to his brother. "And what do you think he is planning, hey? His next house warming? He is planning on how and when to attack us. One of us is his next target. You know that!"

The only response Eric managed to rile out of his brother was for Bale to lower his head further.

"For magic's sake, Orin! You are acting like she is dead. She simply went home. And in doing so, probably made the smartest decision from her choices. She knew she was injured and she knew the body likely wouldn't survive. Where did that leave her? She was better off in our own realm than here. And she treasured that body. You know how much it meant to her. She protected it. This way, she made one last sacrifice to hold to her promise to her host that the body would not be desecrated. You can't desecrate something that no longer exists. We helped her at least do that much." Bale barely raised his head to meet the other 'Power's' stare, but gave a slight nod to the doorway. "And you talk about her like she will come walking through the door."

"And one day she will."

Bale gave a soft laugh. "When, Eric? How many years will we have to wait for that to happen?"

Orion turned to Eric. "Is it that simple? A question of someone calling her again?"

Eric gave a small sigh as he turned to the ground. "Yes, someone may call another of us some day. And the one that answers that call may be Connie."

Bale gave another soft laugh. "How many times?"

Orion gave him a puzzled look that Eric answered. "Calling one of us is a random thing, Mr. Black. Think of it as a doorway between your realm and ours. Coming to your realm is not unknown to us. In fact, to many of us it is a highly sought after act. And so on our side of the door you have.....what you might consider a very long line of hopefuls, waiting for a calling. Connie is now............at the end of that line, you might say. It could be days, weeks, months, years...., centuries, before she returns. And even then, we have no way of knowing when or who, and she may or may not even remember us after all that time. But she is alive." He pointedly reiterated to his brother. "A good deal better off than she would have been had she remained here."

"But we still lost her, Eric." Orin answered him. "And as you said, we may never see her again. She's gone."

With a small sigh, Eric suddenly reached forward and faster than Orion had ever seen anyone move had the other man on his feet by the front of his shirt.

Katlin was the first to move to try and stop the Deatheater. But Orion was quicker to stop her from interfering. Eric Matterson on a good day was a dangerous force to be reckoned with. Orion was sure Katlin knew this. But when he was angry, the Auror wanted his wife no where near the man.

"Now you will listen to me!" Eric yelled at his brother. "And listen carefully. She is not dead! Had she stayed, she would be. Even you could not have kept her alive in this realm forever and you know that! Deep down, you know that is true, Orin. She had a choice to make and she made it. And in doing so, she helped us move one step closer to stopping this insolent child. Do not make her effort wasted! Do not insult her like that! She'll not thank you for it."

The assault got little more than the first one had, with the exception that Bale was now staring back at his brother's face.

"I can't do this alone, Orin." Eric entreated in a quiet plea, still holding firmly onto the man. "I need you. I need your help, your strength, and your power. We can stop him. But only together. Separately, he has already won."

"I'm sorry." A tearful cry suddenly broke the silence from the other side of the room.

Every head turned suddenly to where Becca was now standing before her chair.

"I am sorry." She repeated. "This is all my fault. I was suppose to help you through the wards. I knew the house. I had been there. I lived there. But I was no help at all. And because of me, because we couldn't get to her faster, Connie is gone. This is all my fault." The girl cried again, tears streaming down her face now. "And I am so sorry."

And with a small 'pop', the fledgling 'Power' disappeared.

For several moments no one moved, but finally Eric released the hold he still had on his brother.

"Is that what you are going to go on letting that child believe?" He asked in a quiet, steady voice. "That all of this is somehow her fault?"

Orin stood for a moment staring at the floor, but finally shook his head. Turning to face the chair Becca had been sitting in, another small 'pop' redeposited the distraught girl in the chair, now facing her uncle.

Eric was right. He couldn't let Becca go on thinking all that had happened was her fault. "Tell me why you feel this is your fault." The head of the Unspeakables ask her.

The girl stared up at him through tear-filled eyes. "Because.....because you needed me to help find Connie. I was suppose to help you through the house, and I didn't."

"But you did, child." Eric spoke up next to her. "I could never have gotten us into the house without your help."

"And I was suppose to help with wards." She continued. "And I couldn't do that right. But.......but there were so many. And they....they were different wards. They confused me."

Orin's forehead knitted itself into a frown. "Confused you?" He asked. "But you know wards better than any of the rest of us, Becca. How could they confuse you?"

Becca shook her head, trying to remember how some of the wards felt to her. "I.....I'm not sure. They just.....they didn't feel right. They were different from other wards. Like the one in the corridor that Eric had to get us through. I didn't even know it was there."

"That felt different because it wasn't a ward, girl. It was a trap." Eric reminded her. "That was why you couldn't 'feel it'."

"There were just so many of them." Becca went on, shaking her head. "And it took me so long trying to find out what they were, or where they led." She quickly turned her head to look up at Bale. "I am so sorry, elder. I know I should have been faster. I should have done better. You were depending on me to get you to Connie quickly, and I failed. But I was......I...." As suddenly as her rush of words had started, they stopped as the fledgling 'Power' seemed to give serious consideration to some new thought that had overtaken her. For a moment she simply sat and stared up at the man before her. But finally she seemed to shake herself out of her thoughts and turned her expression into a mask of indifference. "No. I apologize to you, elder." She said in a voice that was now as flat and inflectionless as Orion remembered it being when she had been under Heudros' control. "I should not offer excuses for my failure. You gave me a task and I did not perform it correctly. I failed you. I will not try to evade my punishment."

Bale returned a stunned look. "Punishment!? Why should I punish you?"

"Because Connie.......because we did not find her in time." Becca replied, her rigid composure nearly slipping from her tight grip on it. "Because my failure delayed us and Connie..........."

But Bale firmly cut her off, shaking his head. "Becca, what happened to Connie was not your fault in any way, shape, or form. Do you understand that? Only one person can take responsibility for that and he is the only one I will seek to punish for what happened to Connie. And that person, little one, is not you."

"But I.................."

"You did everything you could, Becca." Eric added his voice to his brother's. "And you, in fact, did very well. It did not matter had you got us through that maze of wards and traps in five minutes or five hours. The end would not have changed. Connie was beyond our ability to save her long before we arrived. So Orin is right. Only one person is responsible for that, and only one person will take the punishment for it. And that person is not you."

Becca lowered her head. "I just wish I could have done more." She added in a whisper. "I liked Connie. I didn't want her to have to go away."

Eric crouched in front of her, taking hold of her hands. "None of us did, child. But it is what needed to be. It is a hard lesson to learn in this realm. But we can not always make things be the way we want them to be."

Becca looked up at him suddenly. "Richard does not say that." She replied.

Eric gave her a curious stare. "Really? And what does Richard say about that subject?"

"Richard says in this realm we can do anything we want. Anything we can think of is ours. All we need do is shape things into the way we want them to be. If a day is cloudy and dark, we can make the sun shine if we want. If it is too cold, we can change that too. We can create riches for ourselves. Live in beautiful houses. We can have anything we want."

Eric was on his feet again, staring at his brother. "This child isn't an irritant, he is stupid. And a serious danger if he thinks like that."

Becca stared up at him. "Why? Can we not do these things? Is that just more of Richard's lies?"

Eric turned back to her. "These aren't lies, child. They are dangers. They are the things that risk exposing us. This boy tells you you can change the weather to suit yourself? How much of it? Just the space around you? Why bother? Your street? Your neighborhood? The city you live in? Does he think no one would notice that? Days going from cloudy and cold to bright sunshine and warm? Does he think other wizards would not notice something like that?

And riches? Someone suddenly shows up on a radar throwing money about like there is no end to it.....because for him there isn't? That won't attract attention? The wrong sort of attention?

Life here isn't a game of seeing how many limits you can push and how many rules you can break, Becca. It's a game of hide and seek. You stay hidden as long as you can. And should someone get too close, you disappear. You protect yourself by becoming someone else. Someone else very, very, very far away."

"This boy is starting to sound less and less as he presents himself." Orin put in from behind Eric.

The other 'Power' turned to his brother. "Then you agree the child has not been here as long as he claims?"

Orin shook his head. "I have never thought that. More likely he has been here only for a few months at best. Long enough to orient himself. Which would mean most of the story he told Becca...."

"...is a fabrication." Eric finished. "Though I have no idea why he bothered. Especially in telling her he was called before her. What possible difference could that make to anything?"

Orin pondered the question for a few moments before suddenly looking up at Eric again. "Trust." He stated. "Becca said Richard always wanted her to trust him. What better way than to try to establish some family connection. And he solidified his control over her by making her think he was older than her, therefore, in possession of more knowledge about this realm than her."

"So where do you suggest we go from here?"

Orin sighed quietly. "It's been a long day for all of us." He said finally. "I agree with you. We can't hold off forming our own plans. But we all could use a rest, I think. At least for tonight. We'll think better after a night's sleep, Eric." Orin put in firmly, catching his brother's stare. "We'll start early tomorrow. But we all have our own matters to tend to. Mr. Black has his family to look after. You would do well to stay here and look after Becca. And I need to check in at my own home to make sure Melissa is alight."

Orion didn't miss the look that was practically a sneer on Matterson's face at the mention of his brother's ex-wife's name.

"Melissa?" He drolled out the name. "What in magic's name is that creature doing at your house?"

Bale's expression mirrored his brother's. "She is not a 'creature'." He stated in a level tone. "And I would thank you to please not refer to her as such. As for what she is doing at my house, she is staying there until this matter is settled."

"Another weapon he can turn against you, Orin." Came the equally level reply. "Send her away somewhere. Somewhere far away. Otherwise she'll only be a distraction."

"I prefer her somewhere I can watch over her." Bale replied.

Eric seemed to consider a response, but finally gave a slight shrug instead. "As you will. Tomorrow then. Early." He replied, and in a rising cyclone of black dust, disappeared.

**Q&A**

**Silverfox**:

**Ah, good bye, Connie! I'm quite relieved it was her and not Eric, though.**

**Richard's looking very helpless right now, though. Can't he make himself a new ward?**

Hmmmmmm, how to answer this one?

Basically, assuming you are talking about the ward that led to the 'Powers' realm, the problem you've run into is that you're missing some information about that doorway.

My fault, and I do correct it in the next chapter. Or at least make a wild stab at it.

Just one more proving point that my stories do at times contain glaring continuity errors that are not always caught when proofreading.

A gold star to you, Dear, for catching that one.

All reviews are as of 4/4/2010.

And remember;

Happy Easter, Passover, or whatever holiday celebration you enjoy at this wonderful time of the year. May your Spring be mild and your Summer be pleasant and just long enough that you forget how FREAKIN' COLD it was this winter.


	42. Chapter 42

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER 42: ****EXPLANATIONS**

Orion saw his superior safely off from the front foyer before turning and heading up the stairs to bed. He was considering a quick call to his parent's house to check on the children when he passed by Becca's closed door and came to a sudden stop.

Inside he could clearly hear the girl talking in a soft, quiet voice.

What he didn't like was the male voice that was answering her.

Knocking on the door, Orion opened it to find Becca sitting up at the head of her bed, dressed in one of the ornate, attractive night gowns Katlin had purchased for her.

At the foot of the bed sat Eric Matterson, who was staring at the Auror with an already irritated expression.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Black?"

From the way Orion had already seen Becca respond to the attention Matterson so easily lavished on the girl, he certainly didn't have to go far to find 'a problem'.

"When Orin asked you to watch over Becca tonight, I don't believe that he meant for you to be doing it from the foot of her bed." He pointed out.

"It would be considerably more difficult to watch over her standing in the hallway." Matterson replied flatly.

Orion was about to make his point a bit clearer when a voice spoke up from behind him.

"I heard voices." Katlin said, pulling her robe about herself still. "Is everything all righ.....................?" But she stopped abruptly when she saw the Deatheater perched on the end of Becca's bed. "What are you doing in Becca's room, Eric?" She asked in a level, but direct tone.

The Deatheater gave a long, exasperated sigh before answering her. "As I was just pointing out to your husband, I am doing as my brother asked. Watching over Becca."

"Well, you can just do it from the hall." Came the firm answer.

"And again, as I was also just pointing out to your husband, if Richard attempts to get into the house, I would prefer to be closer at hand than 'out in the hallway'." Eric replied in a bit firmer tone. "I have already lost one family member to that lunatic. I don't intend to lose another."

Katlin shoved her husband out of the way as she entered the room with all the subtlety of a small hurricane. "And I am trying to teach Becca how a young girl of her age should act." She replied, stationing herself directly in front of the man still seated on the foot of the bed. "And proper behavior is not for a fifteen year old girl to have an older male in her room all night long."

Matterson's eyes widened slightly as understanding finally came to him. "I'm family!" He stated.

"Not close enough for me." Katlin replied flatly.

"There are mitigating circumstances, Mrs. Black, that do not make this the best time to be teaching lessons involving 'normal' life."

"Be that as it may," Katlin replied in the same flat tone, "it doesn't help with the lesson, Eric, if I tell her one thing and then do another. If Becca needs someone in the room tonight, than I'll stay with her."

"A great deal of good that will do if Richard decides to pay her a return call tonight." Matterson pointed out. "You didn't fair so well against him the last time as I heard."

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem this time," Katlin replied in a falsely sweet tone that matched her smile, "with you just outside the door."

"And it is highly unlikely Richard can get into the house again." Orion added.

Matterson turned his attention to the man. "He managed it once already without much effort."

"He 'managed it' because Bo let him in." Orion explained. "I have explained to Bo since then that Richard is not a friend and he is not to be allowed in this house under any circumstance."

"And your boggart seems at times to have only a tentative grasp of the English language, Mr. Black."

"I've told Bo that if Richard gets in, he will harm Becca." Orion replied. "That's enough incentive for Bo to keep him out."

The Deatheater gave another exasperated sigh. "Very well." He stated with a good deal of dissatisfaction in his tone as he got to his feet, turning to Becca once more. "It would seem that I am to watch you from the hallway, child." He informed her. A statement that raised a silent frown from Becca as Eric turned back to Orion and Katlin. "There will be no need for you to stay, Mrs. Black. With the boggart watching the wards and myself positioned just outside the door, Becca should be perfectly safe."

A chair instantly materialized in view in the hallway, complete with a small side table, a lamp, a book, and a glass of wine.

Katlin observed the set up with a critical eye. "I'll stay just the same." She replied.

The 'Power' gave a slight shrug, then settled into his chair. "As you wish."

* * *

An hour later, having gotten ready for bed himself, Orion pulled a robe on as he headed down the corridor towards Becca's room.

Matterson didn't even look up as Orion approached, his attention seemingly fixed on the book he was reading.

"Something I can do for you, Mr. Black?" The 'Power' asked, still not bothering to look up.

"My side of the house is somewhat quiet." Orion replied. "I thought I'd come see what is happening down here."

"Becca is currently sleeping. Your wife, however, is still awake if you wish to speak to her."

"Actually," Orion replied, "it's you I'd like to talk to."

The Deatheater looked up with a none to welcoming expression, but said nothing.

Orion tilted his head slightly to read the spine of the book. "The Art of War?"

"I find it a very interesting book." The 'Power' replied flatly.

"Somehow I'm not surprised."

"And somehow I doubt you've come down here to discuss my choices of reading material."

Orion pulled out his wand and quickly conjured up a chair on the opposite side of the small table. "Hardly." He said. "I wanted to ask you about the gateway that Connie destroyed." He added, seating himself in the chair.

The 'Power' had already closed the book and had it resting now in his lap as he eyed the Auror, contributing nothing yet to the conversation himself.

"Becca said in the house was a ward that was a doorway to your realm." Orion started. "Orin said that Richard was drawing power from it."

Again the 'Power' said nothing, but this time did give a slight nod in response.

"And because the doorway can only be 'closed' from the other side, that is what Connie did when she went through it."

The Deatheater nodded again.

"And Richard created that door." Orion put in.

"Do get to your point, Mr. Black." Came the slightly irritated response this time.

"The 'point'," Orion stated, "is that if Richard, who is, from what I understand, no where near you or Orin in age or skill, could create that ward, why can't one of you create another one and allow Connie to come back through it?"

Matterson stared at Orion for a few moments in a way Orion was sure was akin to a teacher looking at a particularly dimwitted pupil.

"Do you honestly think it is that simple?" He asked finally, his voice losing none of it's irritated tone. "And that even if it weren't, if there was any way of getting Connie back, we wouldn't have done so by now?" Matterson leaned forward slightly in his own chair. "My brother is devastated at losing her, Mr. Black. You saw how it effected him. Orin is a master at not getting attached to those around him. Your kind, after all, do have a nasty tendency of dying all the time. Hence, getting to attached to your pets isn't recommended in our point of view.

But Connie was one of us. Headstrong, sometimes careless, sometime foolhardy. But she was our sister. And we both cared for her very, very much.

But to Orin, she was special. She was his own kind. She was white magic. And he cared for her more than anyone I have ever seen.....except that pet of his." The Deatheater added in a tone positively dripping with disdain. "And there was the added shock, I think, that Orin truly didn't believe it would happen."

"And you did."

"I accepted the possibility that we may not have gotten to her in time, Mr. Black. I certainly, however, did not expect to lose her in the manner we did. But I also knew she was not going to survive. I accept that what she did, was indeed the wisest choice she could have made. And in doing so, helped us in our fight against this irritating child.

But in answer to your question, Mr. Black, it is not as simple a thing as you think, to create such a doorway to our realm. If it were, don't you think getting to your realm would be a much simpler matter for those of us that actually want to be here?"

"So why is it 'not such a simple matter'"

"First of all, Richard did not 'create' that doorway. That is an inaccurate term for what was going on there. He 'maintained' it, is perhaps a better description. It isn't possible for us to create such a doorway. It is more likely Heudros created it, then Richard held it open. For only a true fool would create such a thing and then leave it intact. And even Heudros isn't that stupid. Richard, however, in his inexperience, likely did not understand the danger."

"What do you mean?"

"The doorways are used to call one of us, Mr. Black. That is their sole use. Or 'should' be their sole use. To create one is one thing. To create one and keep it open is a different matter altogether, as that that requires a certain amount of power. No ordinary wizard could do such a thing. My guess would be that that doorway was the original one Heudros created when he called Richard. As soon as he saw his opportunity to pass from our realm to yours, Richard took it. But as he passed through the doorway, he put a brace in place. A magical spell to hold the door open."

"But if he had a doorway to your realm braced open, couldn't more of your people find it and use it? You said there are others who want to come to this realm. Surely an open doorway is something they wouldn't just pass up?"

"The doorway may be open, Mr. Black. But they still needed a key just the same. One they did not have."

"A key?"

"They have to be called. If we aren't called, we can not pass between the realms. The spell has to be spoken to allow us to pass through the doorway."

"Then what purpose did the doorway serve for Richard?"

"Just for what we suspected. It was a source of power for him. Through that gateway, he could draw power directly from our realm. But such things are usually very unstable and are best left closed. It's why more of us don't do such a thing as a general rule."

"But why did Richard have it? He has power. And a great deal of it now that he has Connie's. And he has part of Becca's."

"Magical power taken from another is transient for us, Mr. Black. You can steal it from another of us, but it won't last. Richard knows this. But with the power he was drawing on from the doorway, he was likely able to extend the time he could hold on to the extra power and make use of it."

"This 'Richard' seems to have thought out his plan fairly well."

"The boy is an irritant, Mr. Black. I've never called him unprepared."

"But you think he's dangerous."

"I think he is highly dangerous....and very unstable."

"Why don't I find any comfort in that thought at all?"

"Because there isn't any." Eric replied. "Orin and I for the most part mind our own business, Mr. Black. We find life so much easier that way. I don't interfere in Orin's business and he doesn't interfere in mine. And we certainly never go out of our way to bother others of our kind. If they leave us alone, we leave them alone."

"There are others of you? Besides Bo, I mean?"

"Doesn't that stand to reason, Mr. Black?" The Deatheater asked. "Orin and I are older than you can likely even begin to imagine. Do you honestly think in all those years inbetween, no one ever called another of us? There is, as you said, your own boggart. There is Becca, and Connie, and now this irritating child, Richard. There are others of us out there, Mr. Black. We live quiet, peaceful lives.....,"

"You call Orin's life 'quiet' and 'peaceful'?"

".....for the most part." The Deatheater added with a small sigh. "That is what will make this 'elder' Richard is looking for so hard to find. He is old, there is no doubt. The longer we are in this realm, the more our power grows. And from the way Richard described him to Becca, he is someone of immense power."

"Then surely he can defend himself against Richard?"

"Connie was also very old, Mr. Black. Yet Richard managed to subdue her with little effort. This child is cunning, and ruthless. A very dangerous combination. It is imperative we find this elder first and warn him... or her.... of the danger they are in."

A flash of dark light appeared next to Orion's chair.

Looking up, Orion watched as the tower of dark robes that materialized there made several gestures, then pointed to the other 'Power'.

Matterson glared at the boggart. "What does he want?" He asked, a bit of the tone he had used when speaking about Orin's ex-wife seeping into his voice.

Orion frowned at the tone, but only answered, "He wants to know if he were the one in danger from Richard, would you offer to help him as well?"

The Deatheater's scowl slowly melted into a smile, and finally a small laugh. "Him?" He asked. "What possible interest would Richard have in your boggart, Mr. Black?"

Orion turned back to Bo, who was already repeating the gestures and again pointing to Matterson.

Orion turned back to the Deatheater. "Same question." He replied stoically.

The other 'Power' sighed as he leaned back in his chair and turned his attention to Bo. "All right, brother. Yes, Orin and I would do everything we could to help protect you."

The response to the offer was not what Orion expected in the least. At Eric's reply, the boggart made a sound that was like a small tittering giggle, and then disappeared.

Orion turned back to the other 'Power' to find him staring at the space where the boggart had been with a singularly strange expression on his face.

"You're boggart has a very strange sense of humor, Mr. Black."

Orion didn't answer the 'Power' at first. But finally he pulled himself to his feet. "It takes some getting used to." He replied. "I think I'll say goodnight to my wife before I leave."

"As you wish."

Tapping lightly on the door, Orion carefully opened it to find Katlin much as her counterpart was out in the hall. Sitting near the wall opposite the bed where the fledgling 'Power' was sleeping, Katlin had conjured herself up a small table with a lamp, a comfortable recliner, and a book.

"You look very comfortable." He stated, softly crossing the room to where she sat.

"It could be a long night." She replied, welcoming the light kiss he leaned over to give her. "Is the guard still outside?"

Orion gave her a small smile. "What do you think?"

"I think if half the house were blown away in an attack he would still be sitting there."

Orion crouched next to her chair. "What was all this about anyway?" He asked. "Surely you aren't honestly worried about Eric being up here with Becca? Especially under the circumstances."

"Of course not." She replied. "But I am trying to teach Becca how to behave in this realm, Orion. She has some very mixed up ideas about things from her former master's teachings. Undoing that damage isn't going to be made any easier by giving her the same crossed messages. Things have to be very black and white for her right now. She doesn't really think in very abstract ideas just yet."

"I think her ideas are plenty abstract." He replied with a slight frown.

"They're not 'abstract'." Katlin answered. "They're confused. As much as she is about a lot of things. She needs solid, black and white boundaries. No grey areas."

Orion gave her a small smile. "Well, you're definitely the one for the job. You already have one teenager girl. What's another, hey?"

"Two teenage girl's, that's what." Katlin replied flatly.

Orion's expression shifted to a more serious one. "Love, what can you tell me about Eric Matterson?"

Katlin greeted the question with a puzzled frown. "What do you mean? You know him. You've met before."

"Yes. I know. But....in the lair....in Voldemort's ranks, how is he viewed?"

Katlin thought for a moment. "He's a Deatheater, Orion. Like the others. A bit more high ranking. But he's not an Elite."

"Don't you ever wonder why?"

"He's good enough at what he does, Orion. And he isn't Johnathan Treaks. He doesn't aspire to be anything more than he is. He doesn't have to. Eric Matterson is known among the others as a man not to be messed about with. You avoid him as much as possible. Work with him only when you have to. Which isn't hard. He generally prefers to work alone."

"Small wonder." Orion commented. "I wonder how Voldemort would react to know that one of his lowly Deatheaters is really............."

"He won't." Katlin replied in a solid tone. "At least not from me, if that's what you're after here."

Orion shook his head. "No. I never even thought that, Love. It's just, Orin's the head of the Unspeakables. And he certainly didn't get the job by winning any popularity contest. He can be just as ruthless as his brother. I can attest to that. I just wonder why, if Eric's so good at what he does, why isn't he at least among the Elite?"

"Maybe they like to keep a low profile."

"Well, Orin certainly isn't hiding his light under a basket."

"He doesn't flaunt his power either, Orion. Not when you really think about it."

Orion frowned slightly. "No. I suppose not. Considering."

Katlin gave him a small peck on the forehead. "You're thinking too much." She advised. "It's been along day. Go and get some sleep."

"You should too." He replied with a leering smile. "I have a nice warm bed waiting for you. Why not let the old rooster guard the henhouse for a few hours?"

"Go to bed, Orion." She stated firmly. "One of us should get a good night's sleep."

Orion gave a disappointed sigh, but finally pulled himself back to his feet with one last quick kiss. "Goodnight, Love." He whispered before heading back for the door.

**Q&A**

Silverfox:

***polishes pretty shiny star and hangs it on wall*So, if he can't make anew one, where did he get the first? Heudros? Is it the doorway he was called through?**

All I'm saying here (you're having now gone through this chapter), is, exactly how long have you had that connection into my story database?

All reviews are as of 4/25/2010.

And remember;

My doctor doesn't believe in unnecessary surgery - he won't operate unless he absolutely needs the money.


	43. Chapter 43

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: ****PUTTING A PLAN IN MOTION - PART 1**

Orion woke up to a steady, insistent pounding on the door. At first he had thought the sound came from the bedroom door, which immediately brought him instantly awake, worried one of the children had come looking for their parents in the middle of the night. From his experience, that usually spelled one thing; someone was sick.

But one glance at the doorway told him that wasn't the case this time.

Frowning at the vacant doorway, he suddenly remembered that the children weren't even in the house at the moment. They were staying with his parents.

He focused on the sound again.

No. It wasn't coming from the doorway or, from the sound of it, from anywhere inside the house at all.

The sound was someone pounding on the front door.

Jumping out of bed, Orion was still pulling on his robe as he ran out into the hallway.

At the head of the stairs, he nearly ran into Katlin, who was running full tilt towards their room.

"I thought you were watching Becca?" He asked.

But Katlin already had him by the hand and was dragging him down the stairs. "Eric told me to come get you." She replied, panting for each breath. "He said to tell you to tell Bo to drop the wards on the front door."

Heading down the stairs, they were both met halfway by the tall tower of black robes.

"Where have you been?" Orion ask. "Someone's banging on the door for all their worth and your off somewhere doing who knows..."

But Orion stopped quickly as the boggart began to rapidly make several gestures in the air.

Orion quickly frowned at the boggart's words. "What does that mean? 'You were protecting the other'? What other?"

Bo pointed insistently at the door.

"Becca? Becca's outside?" Orion stated, picking up his pace as he stepped around the boggart and headed down the last flight of stairs. "Well, how'd she even get out there? And what did she do? Lock herself outside?"

Bo materialized at the base of the stairs and immediately began rapidly making gestures again as Orion paused for a few seconds to read them.

"Not Becca." Orion quickly translated, watching carefully as the boggart continued his explanation. But as Bo finished Orion suddenly bolted across the foyer, pulling out his wand as he went and undoing the charm that sealed the front door. Katlin followed quickly behind him.

"Orion? What is it? Who's..."

But she didn't get any further as the last of the charms came down and Orion yanked the door open.

Two bodies nearly collided with his as soon as the door opened.

"Melissa?"

Regaining her balance despite the extra weight she supported, the woman Orion knew only as his superior's ex-wife turned a pleading expression to him. "Please, help us!"

There was no doubt the plea was genuine. With wide, frightened eyes Melissa looked as though she had gone through dirt, mud, and a few back alleyways supporting her burden.

Orion's gaze shifted quickly to the figure Melissa was struggling to support as it trying to pull itself upright.

"Orin?"

Orion quickly reached out and took over supporting his superior, who of the two, definitely looked the more seriously injured.

If Melissa had been through dirt, mud, and alleyways, Orin looked as though he had been dragged through all three right after her. But in with the dirt and the caking mud was a fair amount of blood, soaked into his torn cloths and dried onto his exposed skin.

But despite his state, he still managed to pull himself halfway back to his feet.

"Close the door!" He rasped, shoving Orion away as he lost the battle to regain his feet and collapsed against the woman next to him again. "Reseal it! Have Bo put everything he's got into the wards. Get Becca and Eric to help."

Orion quickly turned to the black robes behind him. "Bo, reseal the front door. Then go get Becca and Eric. Recheck every ward on the house and the grounds. Channel whatever you can into reinforcing them. You understand?"

The boggart quickly disappeared.

Standing until now behind her husband, Katlin quickly moved to place herself next to the Orin. "Let me see him." She told the panic-stricken looking woman still holding him. "We have to find out how badly he's hurt."

The comment elicited a rasping laugh from the injured man.

"Injured?" He replied, coughing several times before he continued. "Is that the worst you think?"

Orion carefully helped Katlin eased the battered body into a more comfortable position. "Orin, what happened? Who did this?"

But the man only shook his head and began to cough again as Katlin quickly ran her hands over his torso.

"He has too much blood in his lungs, Orion." She stated past a worried stare. "If we don't get him help, and soon, he'll die."

A small gasp escaped from the woman standing careful watch over the proceedings. "No! Orin..."

"But can't you...?" Orion stared to ask, but Katlin quickly shook her head.

"Not something this bad, Orion. He's bleeding to death inside. I can't stop it all fast enough. I don't have that much power."

"No. But we have someone here who does." Orion stated. "I'll take him upstairs to the first bedroom. Melissa, you come with me, please. Katlin, go find Becca and bring her there."

But Orin quickly grabbed his arm in a surprisingly strong grip. "No!" He demanded in a weak and strained voice. "Don't take her away from protecting this place. Bo will need her help to stop him if he comes here."

"Who?" Orion ask, apprehension building in him at the though of someone that even the ancient Power would fear.

But Orin only started coughing again as he tried to answer and Katlin quickly laid her hand over his chest to try and stop the spasm.

"He needs help now, Orion!" She stated. "Take him upstairs and I'll get Becca."

As soon as Orion got his superior settled in the bed with his ex-wife never ceasing to try and help, he heard the excited voice of the fledgling Power as she trailed after Katlin down the corridor towards the room.

"But what has happened?" She stated. "First Bo comes and begins making his gestures at me, trying to get me to do something, and now suddenly I'm being summoned back to the house because you said some...," Becca stopped in mid-sentence as her gaze fell on the figure laying on the bed, "...one is injured?" She finished in a whisper.

"Someone is injured, Becca." Orion informed her. "Very injured. My question is, can you help him?"

But Becca had already rushed across the room with an anguished cry. "Elder! What has happened to you?"

"He's been attacked, Becca." Orion explained quickly. "Can you help Katlin heal him?"

Becca turned an apprehensive stare to Katlin. "That depends on how bad the injuries are."

"He's bleeding internally, Becca." Katlin told her as the girl turned her attention back to the figure on the bed. "The most pressing problem at the moment is that he has a large amount of fluid in his lungs. That needs to be cleared or he won't be able to breath and he'll die."

Becca's head snapped back to her. "Die?" She stated. "Mr. Bale can not die, Katlin. He is what I am. What Eric is. Heudros told me that we do not die. He said that we simply..."

Orion wasn't interested in semantics at the moment. "I don't care what you term it." He cut her off in a firm voice. "Just make sure it doesn't happen."

Becca considered the man next to the bed for a moment, then cautiously turned back to the injured figure. But finally she got up and allowed Katlin to take her place on the edge of the bed as she quickly nodded to the command.

"His lungs need to be cleared, Becca." Katlin repeated. "We'll start there. I can do the healing, but I need more power than I have. You understand? You are not to try and heal anything yourself. Just assist me where I direct your power, all right?."

The fledgling 'Power' nodded again.

Positioning herself behind Katlin, Becca wrapped her body about the other woman's, folding her arms down Katlin's and wrapping her long slender fingers around her lower arms.

For her part, Katlin placed her hands over Orin's chest and closed her eyes. Almost immediately a soft blue light glowed from under her hands, growing brighter and deeper as she concentrated. But after only a few seconds had past the light abruptly blinked a few times and then went out as Becca broke her contact with Katlin, jumping back from her. Her attention, past two wide, confused eyes, was focused fully on the man on the bed.

Melissa immediately turned a worried stare to her. "What is it?" She ask in a quiet, but frightened voice. "What's happened?"

"He's..." The girl stumbled around for the right words. "He's...different. Something has changed in him."

Orion had stepped up behind Katlin, who, although seeming to be doing all she could to stay upright after the abrupt break in the contact, assured him she was all right. "Changed him? How?" He asked.

"He's...he's different." Becca stammered, again searching for the right words. "His...essence...his being...it's gone."

"Essence?" Orion ask in confusion. He quickly shifted his gaze to the figure on the bed, for a moment fearing what Becca meant was that his superior had abruptly done the very thing Becca seemed so adamant he couldn't do.

But to his relief and surprise, Bale stared up at him from the bed.

"She means my magic." He answered in a surprisingly clear and level voice. "My magic is what she can't sense any longer."

"Your magic?" Orion ask. "But...that's not possible. Orin, you are magic. Just like Becca and Bo. Without it..."

"Without it I'm little more than a shell." The figure answered.

"But...how...?"

"Richard." A voice suddenly spoke up with clear conviction in it's stone cold tone as well as a hard, reverberating hatred. "Richard is responsible for this. He is the only one who would do such a thing."

A solid streak of black light struck the carpet in the middle of the room near the foot of the bed as Orin's brother made his usual entrance.

Becca leaned back down next to her uncle, firmly taking his hand. "And he will pay, elder. This is a great wrong he has done you. He had no right to take this from you."

Orion stared down at the man with growing understanding of the situation. "Orin, is what Becca says true? Did Richard do this?"

A tired nod answered him as the figure collapsed back against the mattress in exhaustion.

Katlin looked up at them from the bed. "Magic or not," she stated, "I need to clear his lungs, Orion. And it has to be done now."

Orion turned back to Becca. "Can you still help Katlin, even if the person...isn't magical?"

Becca considered the question. "I have not done many healings at all, so I do not know for sure. But Katlin is the one doing the actual healing. She is simply using my power to make it more effective. Stronger. This is much as I used to do for the thirteen under Heudros' rule."

Orion turned back to his wife. "All right then?"

Katlin gave a small nod. "I used to heal some of those in my village. Nothing as complicate as this. But I never thought healing a muggle or healing one of my own kind was that much different. All of the parts are the same, after all."

Proceeding with a few cautious steps, Becca again positioned herself behind Katlin and wrapped her body about the other woman's once more.

For over an hour Katlin worked in complete silence as Orion and Melissa stood by the doorway. While he himself stood as still and silent as stone, Orion couldn't help noticing that any movement from the figure on the bed elicited an immediate reaction from Melissa, no matter how small.

Knowing how much better Katlin could work without added distractions, Orion finally took the woman gently by the arm and told her in a quiet, reassuring voice that it was best to leave Katlin alone to work. That she would call if there was any problem.

Getting the woman downstairs to the kitchen was an ordeal in and of itself as Melissa tried several times to redirect them back to her ex-husband's side, saying she felt something was wrong. But with patient persistence Orion finally managed to get her downstairs and seated at the kitchen table.

As Orion made them each a cup of tea, Melissa's worried gaze constantly returned to the doorway, desperately looking for reassurance of her ex-husband's condition.

"Melissa," Orion reassured her, "I know you're worried, but Katlin is an excellent healer. Orin couldn't be in better hands.

Plus, Eric is around somewhere as well." He added, setting the mug of tea in front of her so the fragrant, warm aroma drifted directly up to where she could smell it as it curled around her face and warmed her skin.

He could have added that the house was under Bo's protection, and the chances of anything getting past the boggart were indeed slim. But that simply led to too many questions he didn't have time for. "But right now," he went on instead, "I need your help to understand what happened. You are the only other person who was there and the only one who can answer questions."

The woman gratefully accepted the tea placed in front of her with trembling hands and gave a small nod before turning her tear stained face back to Orion. "What is it you want to know?"

"First off, just how much do you know about Orin?"

The question got a small, half-hearted laugh. "Mr. Black, I used to be his wife. What don't I know?"

"What I mean is, do you know what Orin is?"

The woman's eyes narrowed in puzzlement. "What he is?" She asked. "Orin is a wizard, Mr. Black, if that is what you mean. And yes, I know that."

"Melissa, your former husband is not a wizard." Orion replied. "He isn't even human."

The woman's eyes narrowed considerably this time. "I take considerable offense to that remark, Mr. Black. Orin is very human. Or at the very least, his body is. Anything past that really isn't anyone else's business."

"So you do know what Orin is?"

The woman sat back in her chair. "I know that he doesn't come from this realm, yes. Is that what you're getting at?"

Orion paused for several seconds before meeting her stare again. "I wasn't sure how much you knew about your ex-husband. Orin seems to work very hard to...fit in."

The chill in the woman's stare didn't lessen. "Yes, he does. And it's something he indeed works very hard at. Which leads me to wonder, Mr. Black, how you came about that particular bit of information."

Orion gave her a small smile. "The easiest way possible." He replied. "He told me."

A puzzled frown replaced the cold stare. "He told you? Why on earth would he do such a thing? Orin doesn't tell anyone about himself. It's too dangerous."

"He didn't have much choice." Orion replied. "I was Becca's...keeper...when I brought her to Orin for training. Orin recognized her immediately for what she was and felt if I was going to be involved with her in any way, I deserved to know the truth."

Melissa took another thoughtful sip from her tea. "That's a considerable amount of trust Orin has placed in you, Mr. Black."

"Orion." He corrected with a small smile.

"Orion." She amended. "I can only hope it was well placed."

"I certainly have no intention of trying to cause Orin any problems. Currently I think he has more than enough. But now that we know where we stand with each other, I need you to tell me exactly what happened tonight?"

Melissa took another long draw off of her tea as she seemed to consider what to say. "He came to the house tonight." She said in a soft, overly controlled voice that echoed her fear and anxiety.

"He?"

"The other one." She replied, lifting her eyes to meet his stare. "The one from Orin's realm. The one that calls himself 'Richard'. I was there because...Orin...Orin felt I needed protecting. He insisted I stay at his house." She paused as she took a small sip from her cup. "The other one literally blasted his way into the house." She finished in a whisper.

"Blasted?" Orion ask.

"He set off some sort of charge. A magical charge. It practically took the front of the house down. The sheer force of it took Orin by surprise, I think. He always kept the house so well guarded against any attack. And even with Connie's power backing him..."

"Orin told you about Connie?" Orion interrupted.

Melissa nodded. "He was devastated over loosing her. And Orin knew this 'Richard' had Connie's power now. But even so, he should never have been able to launch such an attack against Orin."

"Well, he either found another source, or Orin had to have been pretty distracted not to have sensed that much power gathering outside."

Just then Katlin stepped in, putting an abrupt end to the beginnings of Orion's questions.

Looking for all the world like she could collapse at any second, Orion quickly rushed to help her into one of the vacant chairs at the table.

Melissa quickly leaned over towards her. "How is he? Is he all right now?"

"He's definitely better than he was." Katlin replied in a tired, exhausted voice. "What he needs mostly now is sleep. Give his body a chance to heal past the help I've given it."

"Where's Becca?" Orion asked.

Katlin gave a slight wave towards the stairs. "I left her with him. If there's any trouble, she was told to call me immediately, but not to try and do anything herself." Katlin turned her attention to the other woman at the table. "I would really like to check you to make sure you're all right." She told her.

Melissa's composure fell to an expression almost as blank as her voice. "I wasn't injured." She replied in a hallow sounding voice. "Orin...as soon as the blast happened, he sent me to the back of the house. And just as he apparated me there, he put up some sort of barrier. One that I couldn't get past. It wasn't until this...this other creature did whatever he did to him that I was able to get past the barrier and come to help him. But by then...I suppose the attacker had what he came for, because he had left." The woman lowered her head in self incrimination. "I couldn't think of anything else to do." She finished on a whispered breath. "Orin told me over and over to leave him. To come here and warn you of what had happened. But I couldn't leave him behind. He would have died!"

Katlin offered the woman a comforting arm across her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong in wanting to protect someone you love, Melissa. You were trying to help him any way you knew how."

The woman broke into tears again, shaking her head. "You don't understand." She choked out between sobs. "I'm the reason this happened. If I hadn't been there...I was the reason he was distracted. All I managed to do was distract Orin into allowing this creature to successfully attack him."

Katlin pulled her about until she was facing her. "Melissa, stop it. It isn't true. Richard is responsible for this and only him. He simply picked his time well."

But Orion was sitting across the table with a deep frown on his face. "What do you mean you were 'the reason he was distracted'?"

Katlin shot him a menacing look. "Later, Orion!" She stated between clenched teeth. "Melissa needs rest, not interrogation."

But Melissa had already seized hold of the question. "It's just as Eric has always said, whenever I'm around, Orin lets his guard down." She looked up, pulling her shoulders back. "Eric always called me Orin's 'worst distraction'. He constant warned Orin that one day...I would be the cause of his downfall." She added, turning a flat stare to the table in front of her. "And now it appears he was right all along."

"That is not true, Melissa." Katlin put in quickly. "Richard is very powerful and he's very clever. We've already seen evidence of that. If it hadn't been when you were there, it would have been another day. But he would have gotten what he wanted no matter what. But today, thankfully, you were there. If you hadn't been, Orin would be dead. But he's alive now because of you. Don't go blaming yourself for other's actions."

"Katlin's right, Melissa." Orion added to his wife's words. "I've faced Richard. He is very powerful and very determined. If he hadn't attacked today, it would just have been a matter of time. Some day when Orin wasn't expecting it. Richard was just waiting for his opportunity,"

"It's been a very long day for both of you." Katlin said, getting to her feet. "We have Orin as stable as we can for now. Why don't you let me find you a room too?"

The woman gave the offer a tired nod. "I think I would like to lie down for a while." She said, setting the cup in front of her after she took one last long draw off her tea. "But first I would like to check on Orin. Just to see for myself how he is."

(-)

Upstairs again, Melissa all but rushed into the room and quickly seated herself on her ex-husband's bedside.

"Orin?"

The figure on the bed barely acknowledged the sound of his name as his head turned slightly towards her.

Melissa carefully took hold of one pale hand. "How you feeling?"

A soft moan and a slight nod nearly brought the woman to tears of joy.

"Oh, Orin. I've never been so frightened in my life! I was sure he had killed you! When you ran from the house, and that bastard went after you...I was sure..."

Orion looked up at the statement. "Orin ran from the house? Why?"

Two accusing brown eyes met his stare. "It wasn't cowardice, Orion, if that's what you're thinking."

"Cowardice is the last thing I'm thinking, Melissa. My question is why would he leave the house at all? It was a much safer place to fight."

The pale hand slowly wrapped itself as tightly about her's as was possible for it.

Melissa responded to the gesture by wrapping the hand protectively in both of her's. "Because I was there." She replied. "Even though it was his home, and most of his defenses were there as well as most of his magical stores, Orin ran from the house because I was still inside, and he was trying to draw Richard away from me, knowing I had no way to defend myself against him. So he ran to a certain death to protect me. Luring Richard away until I could escape." Melissa turned back to her ex-husband as tears freely ran down her cheeks. "And look at what it cost him."

"The elder is a strong person." Becca commented indirectly from where she stood near a corner by the bed. "He's greatly improved from when he first came here."

"Is he 'greatly improved' enough to answer some questions?" Orion ask.

A strong elbow in the ribs answered him before Becca could say anything. "I think anything along those lines can wait." Katlin stated in a firm, but quiet tone. "Orin and Melissa have been through enough today and I think it's best we let them rest."

Orion gave her a quizzical stare, but didn't get a chance to question the order before Katlin turned her attention to Becca. "We'll have Tets get another bed brought in and Melissa can stay with Orin here.

Becca, I'll stay here for now with them. I want you to go with Mr. Black and see what help he may need checking the wards around the house. When you're done, I want you to come back here, all right?"

The girl turned a questioning stare to Orion, who dutifully waved her to simply follow him as he turned to leave.

Out in the hallway Orion was already laying out his own plans. "I want you to go see if Bo needs any help." He told the fledgling 'Power'. "And don't just take his word for it. Tell him I told him to let you help. And you do only what he shows you. Do not play with the wards. He's very possessive of them. All right?"

With a quick nod, Becca disappeared.

Sighing quietly to himself, Orion went off to make his own checks, wondering for the first time in the past few hours where Orin's errant brother was.

And remember;

I hope my American readers are enjoying a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. And please remember those who gave their lives so that you could do just that.


	44. Chapter 44

A/N: As always;

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: ****A STARTING PLACE**

While his new house guests slept the rest of the day, Orion spent his own time trying to make sure his own household was safe for the time being.

Katlin had confiscated Becca back after allowing her a few hours with Bo checking and rechecking the wards around the house and on every entryway. But finally satisfied on that front, and because the girl was quiet frankly driving him a little crazy with her constant questions about what was going on and what they were going to do next, Orion happily released her back to his wife when Katlin asked.

Now Orion found himself in his den, thinking over the very thing Becca had quizzed him on the last few hours.

What was he going to do next?

A few short sharp knocks on the door jolted him out of his thoughts.

"It must be pretty grim, I guess." Sirius asked, walking into the room. "It took ten knocks to get your attention."

Orion shook his head as he turned to face his brother. He had already filled Sirius in on the events of the morning, enlisting his aid as well in checking the wards around the house. "It's certainly not the best of situations." He agreed. "Orin was likely the best protection we had against Richard. But now...he's really no better off than a muggle, Sirius. He can't do any magic at all. Worse than that, he's injured. And I have no idea how losing his magic has effected him."

"I'm afraid I'll have to leave that up to you and Katlin to figure out. I'm not the psychologist's in this. I'm the strategist, remember?"

"And any ideas on that front?"

"Several actually." Sirius replied somberly. "I had hoped to talk them over with Orin's brother. Test their strengths and weaknesses against what he can tell me of their effectiveness against his kind. But I haven't seen him since early last night."

Orion shook his head. "Becca said that Eric disappeared shortly after I took Melissa downstairs. He said nothing about where he was going, but he wasn't the least bit happy when he left. My guess is he's gone off looking for Richard."

Sirius considered the suggestion for a few moments. "You don't think that maybe he's just...gone off?"

Orion shook his head. "That's the last thing I would expect of him. As dedicated as he is to his brother, Eric isn't going to abandoned Orin to his fate."

"Maybe he doesn't see Orin much as 'brother' material anymore." Sirius suggested. "If his magic is gone, maybe in Eric's eyes that exonerates him from having to worry about the man any longer."

Orion shook his head again. "He wasn't dispassionate about what happened to Orin, Sirius. He was furious. Furious that someone had done this to his brother. Had hurt him this badly. Almost killed him." Orion shook his head more slowly this time. "No. He hasn't abandoned Orin. If anything, he's simply planning on making the payback very personal."

"And if he fails?"

"I'm more worried about if he wins."

Sirius narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Why?"

"If Eric succeeds in destroying Richard, what happens to Orin's magic?"

"Maybe Eric can absorb it. 'Hold on to it' until he can return it to his brother."

"I suppose that's a possibility." Orion conceded. "What ideas did you come up with to run past Eric?"

"One that's going to be none to easy to implement if it's even feasible. As I said, I want to discuss it with Eric to see if he feels it could work. But in basics this Richard seems to be operating off of a plan. And a very well laid out one at that. He started with Becca, capturing her and trying to steal her power. That was the first step in his plan and was essential to next. He needed more power than he had.

When Becca escaped, he simply shifted his focus to a new target and waited for the opportunity to spring his trap. Once he had the power he felt he needed, he went on the offensive. Attacking instead of laying in wait to ambush his victim. Now he's scored another victory, has solidified his power-base, and is likely moving on."

"So?"

"He's methodical, Orion. And worse, he's adaptable. Just throwing a monkey wrench into his plans isn't likely to upset him very much. No matter how well we think we know his next step, you can bet he has seven or eight ways he can take that step. We can't cover them all."

"So what do we do?" Orion asked with a slight touch of sarcasm in his tone. "Just wait and see who is next victim is?"

"Hardly." Sirius replied. "We have to force him to shift gears."

"Shift gears?"

"We've been playing his game for far too long. It's time to make him play ours. He's been attacking us up until now. I think it's time we planned our own attack."

"We have far too many unknowns for that, Sirius. We have no idea where Richard is, we don't know how powerful he may be right now, and we have no idea how to even draw him out."

"All questions Eric might be able to answer for us."

"If we knew where he was." Orion replied as he checked the clock on the wall. "Well, I was just going up to check on Orin. Maybe he has some idea where his brother might be."

Sirius gave a small nod as he followed his brother out the doorway.

(-)

Upstairs, in the room where Katlin had put Orin and Melissa the night before, Orion found his superior still in the bed, looking just as pale and exhausted as he had the night before. But his eyes were open as Melissa sat next to him, carefully making sure that he finished whatever Katlin had made for him to eat that night.

"Well, you're awake and eating." Orion commented as he entered the room with Sirius following closely behind. "That's a remarkable improvement over twelve short hours ago."

"Your wife is a remarkable healer." Bale replied. "With Becca's power backing her, I wouldn't put much past her. Any hospital in the country would love to have someone as skilled as her on their staff."

"I believe she prefers her current occupation." Orion replied with a small smile.

"And besides checking on my current condition and what I am having for dinner, was there any other reason why you are here and not tending to the last assignment I gave you?"

'The man will likely die handing out work assignments.' Orion thought. "As a matter of fact," he answered, "there is. Sirius was wondering where Eric was. He needed to talk to him."

For several moments Orion wasn't sure if Bale had even heard him. Instead his superior simply lay in the bed, the same hard, piercing stare fixed on his agent.

Just as he was about to repeat the question, a sudden bolt of black light erupted in from the ceiling. It struck the ground dangerously close to where Melissa sat on the bed, causing her to pull back slightly with a small cry.

In the usual aftermath of swirling smoke and settling dust, Eric turned a less than sincere expression to the woman sitting on the bed.

"My apologies for frightening you, Me-liss-ah." The even colder than usual voice drawled out in a tone that equaled his expression. And just as quickly the Deatheater dismissed the matter and turned his attention to Orion and Sirius. "My brother said you wished to speak to me."

"You've been conspicuously presence by your absence today." Orion commented. "Where have you been all day?"

"Recognizance." Was the only answered offered by the other 'Power'.

"Eric is trying to locate Richard's home," Bale offered instead. "Something we would do well to try and discover as soon as possible.

He's already attacked me. It is very likely he will try for Eric next in this mad quest of his to gain as much power as he can before launching his assault on the elder. It is absolutely imperative we stop him before he tries."

"Why is it so 'absolutely imperative' now?" Sirius ask. "Wasn't it just as important we tried to stop him from stealing your magic?"

Bale shook his head. "It certainly wasn't an ideal situation. And I, for one, would prefer he had not succeeded. But if he tries for Eric's power and succeeds..."

"He will not." Came the stony statement from the Deatheater.

"If he succeeds," Bale reiterated a bit firmer, "Eric is dark magic, Sirius. This irrational child is light magic. Mixing the two is very ill advised." He added with a small, mirthless smile.

"Why?" Orion asked.

"We are counter productive." Eric answered instead when his brother, laying back on the bed again with his eyes closed, failed to pick up the thread of the conversation. "When Orin and I first met, we were far from friends, Mr. Black. We saw each other as adversaries. Dangers to each other. And for years, we did much as this child is doing. We fought. We attacked. We assaulted each other whenever we were in the same vicinity.

After decades of this, we simply learned to avoid each other.

More time went by and, after so many centuries alone...and knowing there was another of my own kind out there...you could say curiosity overcame the hatred.

When next we met, instead of fighting, we talked. And I found Orin actually felt much as I did. We were both alone. A...'friend'...was a welcome change. I taught him and he in turn taught me. We learned from each other, shared our ideas, and over the next few centuries, became as we are today.

Separately, we are still forces to be reckoned with. Together, we are undefeatable. But against each other, we are powerless. Or worse, destructive.

Now, Orin and I are two separate people. Imagine that conflict...inside a single person."

Orion didn't have to think long.

"And this is a 'child', Orion." Orin pointed out, apparently having recovered some strength while Eric talked. "We don't care what this 'child' is doing. We tend to stay out of each others affairs as a rule. But he is a child. He can handle his own power. But he has now, for lack of a better term, likely bitten off more than he can chew with all the power he has recently absorbed. It would take him time to learn to control it. Perhaps decades.

But he isn't bothering with the time limits, you see? He is likely moving headlong into trying to attack Eric to steal his power as well, possibly not even knowing his orientation. He is probably too young to sense it."

"And once this boy has that force within him, it will explode." Eric added. "Like mixing two volatile chemicals that are incompatible." Eric step up to the Unspeakable. "You are facing Armageddon, Mr. Black. For your people, mine, the muggles, everyone."

Behind Orion a soft trill sounded and a hand reached around in front of him.

Orion gave no show of surprise, having already sensed Bo's appearance behind him. Instead he calmly watched as the hand went through several gestures before pulling back.

Matterson watched the display with his usual bored expression. "Well?"

Orion met the expression with one of his own. One that clearly spelled out how he felt about the Deatheater's somewhat condescending attitude towards the boggart.

"Bo wants to know if you know who the elder is?"

Matterson clearly didn't like the question as he folded his arms across his chest with a frown. "We have already discussed this. No. Not yet."

The hand reached around again and made several more gestures.

"Bo wants to know if Richard knows who the elder is?" Orion translated.

Matterson gave the question serious consideration this time. "No. I don't think so."

This time a soft but unmistakable giggle came from under the cloth covering the boggart's face.

Matterson frowned deeper at the sound. "And he finds that amusing 'why'?"

The hand came in front of Orion again, making several gestures in a row that took considerable time.

"Bo thinks it's funny that Richard is setting a trap when he has no idea what he's trying to catch." Orion finally translated. "He says that's the wrong way to go about it. He said if you've never faced your prey, first you go find it. Then you watch it. Test it. Find out its strengths and weaknesses. Then you makes plans."

Matterson stared for a few moments at the tower of dark robes behind Orion, who clearly caught the look of surprise.

"Bo learned that from his host." Orion explained. "My father was an Auror, and that is SOP when facing something unknown."

"Your boggart seems to pick up some very interesting lessons, Mr. Black." The Deatheater replied in a flat tone.

"Bo is perfectly capable of learning things." Orion put in defensively. "When the subject matter interests him."

The Deatheater kept his gaze fixed on the tower of dark robes. "And this subject matter seems to interest him very much."

Bo reached around again and made a short series of gestures this time.

"Bo finds Richard interesting." Orion translated.

"Interesting?" Eric commented.

"New." Orion corrected. "But it equates to the same thing to Bo. 'New' things are interesting."

Eric gave the boggart one more long glance before turning back to the two wizards in front of him.

"Orin indicated you wished to speak to me." He reiterated a bit firmer this time.

"I needed to asked some questions about the abilities of your kind." Sirius answered, not moving from his position beside his brother.

"In what regard?" Came the stone cold question.

"From everything Becca has told us, and from our own encounters with this other 'Power', just how dangerous do you think this Richard is?"

Matterson seemed to consider the question for some time before answering it. "Based just on what we have learned from Becca, and if everything she has told us is accurate, he's very dangerous."

Orin picked up the question from his brother. "He's smart, clever, organized, ambitious, and single minded. The child has a plan and he is very focused on it. One that I can't help but feel we're walking right into."

"Smart? Clever? Focused?" Eric asked incredulously. "Surely you're not describing that troublesome child?"

"That 'troublesome child' forced Connie from this realm and nearly killed me, Eric." Orin answered, never once glancing up at his brother. "An act he seems all too willing to commit, seeing as he has several times already."

"He's nothing more than a problem that needs to be dealt with, Orin. Take the direct approach. It works so much better."

Orin kept his gaze fixed on Sirius and Orion. "By all means, Eric. Deal with him." He replied, finally turning to look at the other 'Power'. "I'm certainly in no position to stand in your way."

Orion was sure he saw a shadow of anger pass across the other man's face before it formed itself into his usual stoic mask. "As though you could." Eric replied in an uncharacteristically quiet voice before disappearing.

"Was that wise?" Orion asked, turning to Orin.

"Getting rid of him?"

"Sending him off to face Richard."

"'Sending him off' was wise, Orion. What he actually does is up to him. But for the moment it gets him out of my hair, so to speak."

"But the whole purpose he was here to begin with was because Sirius needed to talk to him." Orion pointed out.

"And he wasn't exactly offering anything constructive in my opinion." Orin replied. "In this situation, I doubt he would. Eric is more useful when it comes to situations where you simply need to 'grab the bull by the horns', as it were. 'Plans' are not his forte. Now," he added, turning his attention to Sirius, "I believe you mentioned you had a plan."

And remember;

Congress - where a person gets up to speak, says nothing, nobody listens, then everybody disagrees.


	45. Chapter 45

_A/N: As always,_

_Enjoy._

_Disclaimer__: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story __Family Ties__ as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters._

_**CHAPTER 45: **__**ANOTHER BLOW**_

_For the next several days Orion waited for any word on whether Eric had dealt with the 'troublesome child' or not. But Orin never brought the matter up. Instead the injured 'Power' spent his time between laying in the upstairs bed doing what appeared to Orion as nothing more than staring at the ceiling, or downstairs in the study, staring at the fire with the same stoic expression._

_But on the fourth day, coming up to check on him after not being able to find him anywhere else in the house, Orion was surprised to find the bedroom also empty._

"_Bo!" Orion called out._

_The tower of dark robes quickly materialized in front of him._

"_Have you seen Orin?"_

_The boggart pointed to the window._

_Orion walked over to the window and glanced out. Looking about for a few moments, he finally caught sight of a lone figure standing at the old fence out in the back yard that separated the estate's well manicured lawn area from the wild fields in the back._

"_You have your doctor's OK to be outside?" Orion asked as he walked up behind his superior._

_The man leaning on the fence's top rail never moved. "If you mean your charming wife, then 'no', I do not."_

"_She's not likely to be happy then."_

"_I'll find her someone to torture. That should cheer her up."_

"_My wife's an interrogator, not Voldemort's torturer, Orin."_

_The 'Power' simply shrugged the comment off._

"_So what brings you out here, risking my wife interrogating you?"_

"_I don't like being inside all the time. I prefer being outside."_

"_Have you heard any word from Eric?" Orion asked, wondering still where Orin's errant brother was. But in that the 'Power' himself never brought the matter up, Orion had been careful not to mention it. But curiosity had gotten the better over caution._

_Orin barely looked up from his thoughts. "No."_

_Orion waited for him to say more, but only got more silence for his effort._

"_Do you know where he is?" Orion ventured finally._

"_No." Came the equally short, curt answer._

"_He's been gone several days, Orin." Orion felt the need to point out. "Aren't you the least bit concerned?"_

_Orin finally turned to face him for the first time since Orion had come down to the fence. "Do you think I __don't__ care where my brother is, Orion? I know he has been gone several days now. I know we haven't heard so much as one word from him. And yes, that worries me."_

_For the first time since he had arrived, Orion could finally see the actual worry etched in the man's face, now equally echoed in his voice._

"_Eric still has the ability to defend himself, Orin." Orion offered. "And he's a big boy." _

"_Yes. But he's a very volatile one as well." Orin answered as he settled himself back on the fence. "Eric sometimes doesn't think so much with his head as with his emotions. I suppose that's simply part of his nature. One that, having felt it myself, I can understand the attraction of it."_

"_But Eric said you're polar opposites of each other."_

"_That's true." Orin replied. "But that doesn't mean we can't learn from each other. Share experiences, if you will. You'll remember, Eric said when we first met we were far from friends."_

_Orion nodded._

"_My sole goal in my life at the time was to rid the world of the menace that was Eric Matterson. He was an abomination to me. A wild, uncontrolled force of chaos. Something the world was far better off without."_

"_And what were you to him?"_

"_Mostly? Dull." Orin replied flatly. "And I only saw him as some chaotic force without purpose. _

_Then one day I chanced upon him in a small village. I stopped to watch because I was sure he was only there to cause trouble for the poor souls that lived there. But then I noticed a band of perhaps a dozen mercenaries that were riding toward the town, swords drawn and obviously set on pillaging it. Eric simply stood in the middle of the high road and waited for them."_

"_Hardly much of a fight." Orion commented. "Your brother won't have needed a sword or a wand to stop them."_

"_It won't have mattered if he had had either. The outcome would have been the same." _

_The 'Power' paused for a few seconds before continuing on with his story. "When they were within a few yards of his position, Eric attacked. And at first he only used a sword. One he took off the first man he unseated. Once he gained the man's horse as well, the fighting really started." Orin caught the look on the other man's face. "I didn't see 11 to 1 odds as very good either. But Eric was no fool. If the mercenaries ever started to get the upper hand, he resorted to magic to even the playing field again. But I remember watching him and thinking 'How pointless. Why doesn't he just get on with it?' _

_But it was then that I realized what was really going on. This was all simply a game to him. A chaotic, haphazard, frenzied game. He didn't have a plan when he went into it. And he didn't have one to get out of it. Myself, I would have wiped them off the face of the earth before the situation ever became physical. _

_But Eric wanted the fight. He hadn't gotten involved in the matter because he pitied the poor hapless villagers. Because he felt some inner need to protect them. To be their savior. He did it because he wanted the fight. He wanted the emotion and the anger...and the fear. _

_That was what he wanted most of all. Their fear. And I came to learn what it was like that day, watching him. When the mercenaries reached that point when they knew they couldn't defeat him, and they weren't going to escape. When they looked at him and saw their deaths. You could almost feel the absolute, raw fear in each one of those men as they still tried to fight to survive or to get away."_

_Orion stared at the man standing next to him with a sudden, almost frighteningly new understanding. "You enjoyed it." He stated quietly._

"_I understood him, Orion. I understood why he did what he did. I understood his motive."_

"_A cat playing with the mice?"_

_Orin gave him a small, cold smile. "Hardly anything so mundane. But it was an intoxicating drug. One I carried with me for years after that. I learned what it was to be a force of change, not just someone sitting on the sidelines watching things happen. I didn't just wait for change to happen, now I brought it about. _

_There was a time that I ruled most of the known world. Not from a throne, or a castle, but by manipulating those who thought they did. And when I did rule outright, I would rule for centuries, succeeding myself over and over as my own heir._

_But it was the battles I loved the most. The fight. A single fall of a sword that would decide a whole people's destiny for the next generation._

_I loved riding out into a fray. Driving headlong into it, seeking out their best warrior, or their king, or whoever it was who had come to see if the stories were true about the one who couldn't be defeated. To see the fear in my enemy's eyes. That was what I lived for then."_

"_And where was Eric during all of this?"_

"_Usually? Right beside me, laughing all the way. At that time, we had settled our differences. Or so we thought."_

"_At the time?"_

"_My relationship with Eric didn't suddenly go from 'hostile' to 'friends' overnight, Orion. It took time for us to reach the understanding we have of each other."_

"_I have a hard time imagining how light and dark magic ever found common ground."_

"_Because you're stuck on labels, that's why."_

"_Labels?"_

"_When you get right down to it, Orion, there is no light or dark magic. It is what the user does with that magic that really makes it one or the other. Eric explained that he and I simply draw off of different pools of magic. We work better with our respective sources of magic. And it's essentially the same with wizards and witches. Some simply tend to work better with one source more than the other. And as with our people, sometimes that source isn't the same."_

"_And your brother just tends to work better with dark magic?"_

"_There's nothing dark about it. It's just a different form of magic, Orion. It's a wilder magic. Less ordered. But it's not evil. Nor is my brother. Eric is a very intelligent, well-meaning person. Like me, he tries to avoid others affairs for the most part. But when he feels he can help somewhere, he does."_

"_In his own way."_

"_In his own way."_

"_But he at least does something. You seem at times to take 'avoiding involvement' a good deal more seriously."_

_Bale turned to the man next to him. "Meaning?"_

"_You command more power than anyone in the wizarding world could imagine. In the __whole__ world...could ever imagine. And what do you do with it? Basically, nothing. Instead you allow someone like Voldemort to run around spreading his twisted ideas and his terror and do __nothing__." _

_Orin leaned his back against the fence and crossed his arms over his chest. "And what would you have me do? Place him in Azkaban? Kill him? Just snap my fingers and bring the whole Deatheater movement to a stop? I'm not a god, Orion. Nor am I the one of this world." "You're a bloody pacifist. That's what you are."_

"_A pacifist! You call my position the ideal job for a pacifist?"_

"_But you don't 'do' anything."_

"_Again, what would you have me do? Fix everything? Go out an kill all the 'bad' people in the world? That wouldn't leave very many of you alive. Because at some point, everyone does something that someone else views as 'bad'. Eventually you'd get down to just two and I'd wager I'd eventually have to kill one of them. Just to reach your status quo. Because eventually one of them is going to do something to piss the other one off._

_I do what I can, Orion. But I have obligations to my people as well. Obligations __not__ to draw attention to us. _

_What do you think would happen if I ever used all the power at my disposal? __All__ of it? How long before someone would notice? Three...four seconds? And I am no more immune to Veritaserum than you are. I may be able to fight off the effect for awhile, but the proper amount would have exactly the same effect. Unfortunately, the amount required for that effect would not leave this body in very good condition afterwards, I afraid. And you see, I have an obligation to it as well."_

"_You don't have to do it 'all at once'. Just do a little here and a little there. You'd be amazed how much headway you'd make."_

_Orin gave him an uncharacteristically lopsided grin. "And what is it exactly I am doing now? In my position, where you so adamantly pointed out a few seconds ago I am doing 'nothing'."_

_Orion thought for a moment. "So why not kill Voldemort? Or at the very least send him to Azkaban?"_

"_To do what? Stop the Deatheaters? That won't do it, Orion. You've been with the agency long enough to know that. And you know he's not the worst of the worst."_

"_He's pretty darned close."_

"_He's manageable, Orion. The one who takes his place may not be. _

_Look, Eric and I have worked long and hard to move things into the places they are now. We're not fools. We know Voldemort is dangerous. We know what he's done. And we do try to help where we can, when we can. But we aren't invincible. Becca should have proved that to you. She spent __years__ as a virtual slave to Heudros."_

"_She was a fifteen year old girl who didn't even know what she was. She had an excuse for her circumstances."_

"_And I'd rather not have to come up with one, if it's all the same to you."_

"_There isn't a wizard alive who could capture and control you."_

"_You don't think so? Perhaps we should go ask your boggart about that."_

_Orion started to answer him, but quickly snapped his mouth shut._

"_We are __not__ invincible, Orion." Orin repeated. "And I like my freedom."_

"_What about Eric? We just have to wait until he decides to show up again?"_

_Orin turned back to the fence. "Something like that."_

_Orion thought for a moment. "What about Bo?" He said finally. "Bo summoned Becca when we were in the castle. Maybe he can do the same with Eric."_

_But Orin shook his head. "Becca is a child and, as you said, had no real idea of herself or her powers. Eric can master magic as most people breath. If he doesn't want to return, no force we contrive can make him. We just have to wait."_

"_Time isn't something we have a lot of, Orin. Sirius said we need to start putting an offensive plan together as soon as possible. You said it yourself, that Richard is dangerous as he is now. The power base he's trying to assemble is unstable and in the hands of a novice, a powder keg. We need Eric back here to help."_

_Without warning a sudden flash of light appeared before them on the opposite side of the fence. Both Orion and Orin pulled back a step as Richard materialized in front of them, standing amid the tall grass in the field._

"_And a good day to you, elder." The other 'Power' stated before shifting his eyes over to Orion. "Mr. Black."_

"_What is it you want here?" Orin stated, practically snarling the question at the younger 'Power'._

"_Such a greeting." Richard replied, the corners of his mouth lifting in a cold, menacing smile. "And when I've brought you a present."_

_Orin brows formed a deep frown. "What 'present'?"_

_In the grass at Richard's feet a small flash of light appeared. When it faded, in the aftermath lay the body of Eric Matterson._

_**Q&A**_

_Silverfox__:_

_**Well, I guess now Sirius will just have to turn to Orin with his questions ... or Bo, but communication with Orin is probably a lot easier for him. ;)**_

_Most definitely. And Bo really hates getting involved unless he absolutely has to._

_Monbade__:_

_**good story, the bold and normal double posted chapters is distracting. Keep up the work.**__I know it is very distracting. And I have considered taking those chapters down and reposting them now that I have figured out how to correct the problem._

_I appreciate your putting up with it though and thank you for reading._

_And remember;_

_A belated happy 4th of July to my American readers._

_And congratulations to Spain on their World Cup win...even if they did beat my Dutch team._


	46. Chapter 46

_A/N: As always,_

_Enjoy._

_Disclaimer__: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story __Family Ties__ as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters._

_**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: **__**PUTTING A PLAN IN MOTION - PART TWO-A**_

"_Eric!"_

_Orion just managed to grab the man next to him before he tried to vault the fence. "Orin! No! You're only safe on this side of the fence. He can't cross the property line."_

_Bale seemed to pay the warning little heed as he fought like a madman to get free of Orion's hold and get to his brother._

"_Such dedication." Richard mused, watching the two men struggle. "A fair amount more fight than I'd say your brother put up, Elder."_

_Orion could see the taunts for what they were. And knew every word was hitting it's mark as Orin's anger rose. He also knew eventually he wouldn't be able to hold the man by sheer strength._

"_Bo!" Orion called out._

_This time it was Richard who stepped back as the tower of dark robes appeared next to his channeler._

"_Keep Orin on this side of the fence while I deal with this worthless creature."_

_Orion released his hold on his superior. But the freedom was short-lived as the boggart brought a shield around him that prevented him from moving more than a few inches in any way._

_Bringing his hands up, a ball of pure light quickly appeared in front of Orion._

_Richard's attention quickly shifted to the glowing sphere as he took another few steps back._

"_Hardly any action that is going to improve your chances in winning my favor." Richard warned him._

"_And why should I give a rat's backside about your favor?" Orion asked, the sphere of light's glow shifting to a bright red._

"_Well," Richard said, taking another step back as he brought his right arm up across his chest, "it might have prevented me from doing this."_

_With a quick throw, a smaller ball of light erupted from Richard's palm. Orion quickly shifted his attention off of Richard to where the sphere was directed, attempting to intercept it with his own spell. But the spheres missed each other by a fraction of a hair and Richard's spell struck the ground where Eric's body lay._

_In the aftermath, all that remained was a blackened, smoldering patch of earth._

_Despite the magic force containing him, with a cry of utter pain and fury, Orion was sure Orin was going to come across the fence to get at the boy standing before them._

_Standing in the grass still, Orion thought Richard looked as astonished as anyone at what had happened. But when he turned to face them again, he quickly put on a smug mask with a small, condescending smile adorning it._

"_I did warn you." He stated in a tone to match his expression. "You should have listened."_

_Orin stopped struggling against the force holding him. Instead he fixed a hard, murderous stare on the other 'Power'._

"_Listen carefully. boy, and listen well." He stated, pointing a finger at him. "We gave you your chances. And still you continued. Give back what you have stolen from me and I may yet still allow you to exist. Refuse, and you will have earned your punishment."_

_Richard seemed to consider the offer for a few moments before suddenly bursting out in a high, ringing laughter. "Are you serious?" He stated between gasps for air. "You are nothing! And without the other, you are less."_

"_I think you're forgetting someone." Orion put in._

_Richard turned to him. "What? You and your stupid boggart?" Richard huffed at them. "You think I fear __you__?"_

_A second glowing sphere erupted between Orion's hands. _

_But before he could make any move with it, Richard quickly disapparated._

_As the sphere dissolved in his hands, Orion slowly relaxed his stance. "As a matter of fact," he commented at the place where Richard had been standing, "I think you do."_

_Walking back into the house, Orion entered through the back door into the kitchen and walked up to the table where two occupants stood, already deep in conversation with each other._

_Joining them, with Orin stepping up next to him, Orion didn't give so much as even the simplest acknowledgement to the person standing next to him._

_The figured turned to him, however, with a raised eyebrow. "No surprise, Mr. Black?" Eric asked, regarding the man's response to his presence with a good deal of disappointment._

"_That would likely be because I'm not." Orion replied._

_Orin turned to him. "Might one asked why not?"_

_Orion shifted his attention to his superior. "I don't miss." He replied._

_Both 'Power's' gave him a puzzled stare._

_Orion pointed back to the yard. "I don't miss." He reiterated. "At least not in a situation like that. I've been doing this too long, Orin. I knew a second ahead of that boy what he was going to do the minute he started to move. I shouldn't have missed. But I did. So the only possible explanation is that something else interfered. _

_Now, it wasn't Richard, he was busy with his own spell. It wasn't you. It wasn't Sirius, since he couldn't have worked a spell like that yet. And Bo was working with me. So that only left one person who could have interfered with enough skill to slow my spell, make it miss Richard's, allow that spell to appear to do it's damage, and still not leave the slightest trace anything was amiss." _

"_Very sound reasoning, Mr. Black." Eric replied, though from his tone Orion didn't get the impression the man was even remotely pleased by it._

"_What about Richard?" Orin asked quickly. "Did he notice?"_

_Orion shook his head. "I don't think so. He was suspicious for about a second. But that's all his colossal ego would allow him to think he had messed up big time."_

_Orin turned to his brother. "You have got to be absolutely sure to stay shielded until we're ready. If that boy gets even the smallest indication you are anywhere around, our plan is done."_

"_But if Eric is using his own magic to shield himself, wouldn't Richard be able to sense that?" Orion asked. "Eric is, after all, dar...a different form of magic from any other in the immediate area."_

_Orin waved Orion's concern off. "It won't concern him. He'll pass it off as coming from somewhere else."_

"_Somewhere else?" Orion asked._

_But Orin seemed not to have heard him as he turned back to his brother. "Then as long as it seems things are on track, we need to move forward with the plan." _

"_Would anyone care to let me in on this plan?" Orion asked._

_Orin crossed his arms over his chest as he stepped up next to his brother. "It's actually a very simple plan." He replied, nodding towards Sirius. "One your brother devised to throw Richard off guard." _

"_Sirius?"_

"_I was brought on as a strategist, Orion." Sirius reminded him. "I thought it was time I started earning my place. I told you I thought we were playing this Richard's game for far too long. He was pulling all the strings. And it was a role he was getting very comfortable in. You remember the night I wanted to talk to Eric, but we couldn't find him."_

_Orion nodded._

"_I never went anywhere." Eric pointed out. "I was looking for Richard, yes. But I never left the house in case Orin needed me."_

"_Then why didn't you show up when Sirius wanted to talk to you?" Orion asked._

"_As I said, at that particular time, I was otherwise engaged. Despite what you may think of us, Mr. Black, we do have our limits. It was a significant draw on my own resources to be searching for Richard without actually leaving the house. And I was deeply engaged in that pursuit when your brother came calling. So it was much simpler for me to continue with my search and eavesdrop instead, as it were. _

_What I heard of the plan he told to Orin intrigued me. And I agreed. Richard had been leading us all about by our noses for far too long. So rather than interrupt the proceedings, I simply listened. "_

"_And things appear to have gone exactly as we planned." Orin added. "The boy took the bait, just as Sirius predicted he would. Fortunately, Mr. Black, you also behaved exactly as we anticipated and Richard disapparated long before he took a good hard look at things."_

"_It looked pretty authentic to me." Orion replied._

"_Because you saw what we wanted you to see, Mr. Black." Eric stated. "Hopefully, that is all that insolent child saw as well."_

"_So now what?"_

"_Richard likely thinks he has the upper hand now." Sirius replied. "Except for you, he sees no one else with the ability to oppose him. He thinks Orin is powerless and Eric is dead. So it stands to reason that the next person he is likely to try and remove from his path, as well as steal their magic, is Bo."_

_From the corner of the kitchen where he had until now stood silently watching the three men, the boggart raised his head slightly._

"_But Richard is afraid of Bo." Orion put in. "The minute he thought he was going to have to face him, he ran."_

"_And that may be our greatest weapon against him." Sirius replied. "But not our only one."_

"_What else?"_

"_I'm working on that. But to be certain, I first need to talk to Becca again. I need to know that she's told us everything she knows about this Richard before we go on to the next step."_

_**Q&A**_

_Monbade__:_

_**Another good chapter and Richard is becoming very annoying. **__Some people think he's gone way past just being annoying, Dear. Some consider him a genuine pain by now._

_Silverfox__:_

_**Nooooo! Not Eric!Why do wizards hide from Muggles again, Orion?**_

_Seriously? You thought I could kill off Eric? Next to Hershel, he's one of my favorite bad boys._

_Well, currently they're hiding from other wizards too._

_All reviews are as of 7/25/2010._

_And remember;_

_Just went to see 'Sorcerer's Apprentice'. Very nice movie. But then again, if Nicolas Cage had walked out onto the screen and stood there for two hours, I'd still have paid to see that. _


	47. Chapter 47

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FOURTY-SEVEN: ****GATHERING A LITTLE INFORMATION**

Finding Becca, as Orion well knew, wasn't the problem.

Getting her to talk was what proved difficult. When under stress, Becca could clam up with a force that would test the best interrogators skills. And facing four dominating figures was not helping her open up in the least.

To try and help relieve the girl's anxiety, Orion had Katlin sit with her while Eric and Orin questioned her. But even that tonic didn't work very well as Becca sat in the chair as ridged as a steel post, never seeming to take her eyes off of anyone for more than a few seconds.

"Anything!" Orin stated for the tenth time. "Anything at all this Richard may have mentioned to you that he was worried about. Anything that concerned him. Specifically anything that might frighten him."

Becca scooted a little further back in her chair as Orin leaned over her, appearing as though he were now just seconds from physically pulling the answers he needed out of the girl if necessary.

Standing just behind his superior, Orion viewed the questioning with a critical eye. He had seen his superior in situations that would reduce the most hardened man to a quivering, babbling idiot, and never so much as flinch. Orin could, in fact, turn the tables on someone so fast they rarely knew when it had even happened.

Martin Loudmen was one such example. No one in their right mind ever wanted to go one on one with the head of the Aurors. Case-hardened, indomitable, and ruthless were just a few words others had used to describe him.

Hard as nails and twice as thick was Orin opinion of the man.

But currently, standing in front of a fifteen year old girl trying to get answers he seemed to desperately need, Orion was surprised Orin's usual calm and stoic facade hadn't deteriorated to the point he hadn't come straight out and slapped the girl.

"Richard wasn't afraid of anything." Becca replied in a voice with the slightest hint of a tremor in it. "Only the elder. And I don't know that Richard was afraid of the elder. He just wants to find him. To steal his power."

Thankfully Orin pulled back and took to pacing the room instead.

Eric quickly took his place in front of Becca, falling into the calm, reassuring demeanor Orion always saw him use when questioning the fledgling 'Power'.

"Becca, just think for a moment. Now, we're all afraid of something. Surely this Richard must have mentioned something to you...anything at all...he was afraid of. No matter how small." Becca covered her face with her hands as she lowered it, breaking into tears. "I...I just don't know. I can't remember anything he ever was afraid of." She took a long gulping breath of air before breaking into tears again. "Ohhhh, the elder...the elder is going to be so angry with me." She wailed.

Orin turned to the girl with a dark look. "The elder is going to be flipping PISSED if this girl doesn't give us something to work with!"

Becca cringed down lower in her chair as Katlin wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"Orin, you are NOT helping here!" The Elite pointed out with a threatening stare. "She scared and confused and trying her best right now."

Orin answered the comment by dramatically fanning his arms out to either side. "Her best? Her best is sitting in a chair crying a river? Great magic!" He shouted at the ceiling. "Why don't we just open the front doors so Richard can find us easier? It'll be a faster end that way."

Becca immediately broke from her crying jag as she snapped her attention back to him. "NO! Elder! You mustn't do that!"

Orin stepped back up behind his brother, all but leaning over the other man as he addressed the girl in the chair. "Then you'd best start talking, girl! Give us something we can use against this boy!"

Becca pulled back slightly again. "But...I...I'm not sure what I can tell you."

"Everything and anything you know about this 'Richard' would be a lovely start!"

Becca stared up at him now past wide, frightened eyes. "You can not mean to go after him again! Elder, he will kill you!"

Orin huffed at the comment. "Richard doesn't want me dead. If he did he would have killed me the first time."

Orion looked up at his superior, a sudden thought coming to him. "Why didn't he? I mean, he seemed all too willing to destroy Eric. Why not you?"

Orin fixed a hard stare on his agent. "Because my current predicament amuses him. Something I intend to see that he pays for most dearly."

"Wait a minute. You mean he left you alive because he thinks it 'funny'?"

"My predicament, Orion. Not my personal existence."

Shifting slightly in her chair, Becca barely looked up at the men before her. "What...what about Heudros?" She asked timidly.

All three men turned to her.

"Heudros?" Orion asked. "What good would that pathetic excuse of a wizard be?"

But Eric was staring at the girl with an intrigued expression. "Possibly a great deal." He replied, turning to Orion with a small smile. "For who would know this creature better...than the one who called him?"

Orion more or less shrugged off the suggestion as having one major problem. "That would be great...if we knew where he was."

"Heudros ran away after we escaped from Richard." Becca offered quickly in her ever-trying-to-be-helpful manner. "He tried to make me stay with him again, but I wouldn't. That was the last I saw of him."

"And you are quite sure he isn't with Richard anymore?" Eric asked her, a dangerous gleam reflecting in his eyes.

Becca quickly nodded.

"Well, finding him shouldn't be so hard then." Eric commented, turning his attention to his brother.

"We certainly can't do any worse than we are now." Orin replied. "Bring him here and let's see what he might be able to tell us."

"Wait a minute." Orion quickly held his hand up to stop Eric from going any further as he turned to Orin. "We've been looking for Heudros for weeks and no one in the department got so much as the smallest whiff of him. Now your telling me your brother can simply pick him out of the crowd, as it were, and bring him here?"

"As you said," Eric reiterated, "he is little more than a pathetic excuse for a wizard. Locating him should not be difficult."

Orion turned back to Orin. "Then what have we been doing these past weeks exactly? You've had nearly every agent carrying a standing order to look for Barantor. Why not just...pop him into your office?"

"Because while he was with Richard, Richard could use his power to hide Heudros from us." Orin explained, briefly nodding to his brother. "From anyone looking for him. But Heudros isn't with Richard anymore. Therefore he doesn't have that protection now and has no way to hide. That's why we needed Becca to verify Heudros isn't with Richard anymore. If he isn't, finding him should not be that hard." Orin turned back to his brother. "Eric."

The Deatheater now seemed to stand looking at nothing at all imparticular in the room. From what Orion could tell, he was simply staring straight ahead.

For several moments the 'Power' stood so. But suddenly, with a small 'pop', a figured appeared in the center of the room close to where Eric was standing.

"Mr. Barantor." The Deatheater drawled out.

Heudros remained as he was for a few seconds, facing the fire with the other occupants of the room behind him. But after apparently orienting himself better, he slowly turned to face the person addressing him.

Orion thought from the look on Heudros' face alone the man was going to pass out from sheer fright.

"Er...Eric...Mat...terson." Heudros quickly took in the other members of the gathering, his gaze quickly settling on one person imparticular. "Becca!" He stated with a sudden air of authority. "What are you doing here with these...these...people?" He added, his eyes shifting between Katlin and Eric.

But Orin quickly stepped in to cut Becca off from the man's oppressive stare.

"Becca is with us now." Orin informed the man in a quiet, level tone. "And I would be well advised if I were you to treat her with a good deal more respect."

"With you?" Heudros asked, looking the man over. "And who might you be?"

Orion wasn't the least bit surprised the man had no idea who Orin was. The head of the Unspeakables was about as noticeable in public as his wife. Protecting his privacy, Orin kept a very low profile outside of the agency.

"Well," Orion replied, stepping up next to the other wizard, "let me introduce you, Heudros." He added with a small smile that had the other man pulling back slightly despite the arm over his shoulder. "This," Orion continued, gesturing to his superior, is Orin Bale, head of the Unspeakables. The other gentleman," He added, turning to Eric, "you appear to already know. However, I think what's more important here, is how Becca knows them." The smile grew a bit wider, causing Heudros to try shifting back a few steps even more. "Heudros, I'd like you to meet Becca's uncles."

Without the controlling grip on his shoulder, Orion was sure the man would have bolted faster than anyone could have stopped him as soon as the recognition made it's connection in his brain.

"H...hhhhhher unnnccccles?" He stammered.

"Indeed." Eric stated in a low, solid tone.

Orion expected the Deatheater to make some show of the displeasure he obviously regarded Becca's former master with. But Eric instead remained standing where he was, his eyes never leaving the man.

"Weeellll," Heudros went on, clearing his throat as he fought to steady his voice. Not dying straight off from the introductions appeared to give him some marginal feeling of safety. "Wha...what is it you want from me? Becca isn't with me anymore. She left me. She lives on her own now." He added, suddenly appearing to want to establish his total lack of connection to the fledgling 'Power'.

Orin picked up the conversation from his brother as he moved around the room, making a path that brought him ever closer to where Orion kept the man pinned to the spot with his arm across his shoulders.

"You called another of us." Orin stated, removing whatever small doubt may have remained in Heudros' mind as to who or what he was dealing with. "A creature called 'Richard'."

"Richard isn't with me anymore either." Heudros was equally quick to point out. "He left me. Tried to kill me."

"How unfortunate." Eric drawled out from his place by the fire.

"He almost succeeded!" Heudros stated, his voice sounding nearly panicked.

Eric regarded the man past an incredibly bored stare. "I meant that he failed."

Heudros turned his attention to what he felt was a safer person. Namely, Orin.

"What is it you want?" He quickly asked again.

"Information." Came the stoic reply. "We need to know what this 'Richard' might fear."

Heudros seemed to give the request a fair amount of genuine consideration before he answered. Far more than Orion felt was necessary.

"So you want to know if there is anything Richard is afraid of." Heudros pondered for a few more moments. "Well now." He finally said, looking over the two men before him. "It seems to me that we have a negotiable situation here."

"Heudros." Orion warned in a low, level tone. "Do not be an idiot."

Heudros turned a quick glance to the Unspeakable before turning back to Orin. "I have no intention of being anything of the sort. I simply feel that this is a situation where we could all benefit."

Eric took a step forward, staring down his nose at the man. "Do tell." He drawled out.

Heudros considered the Deatheater for a moment, then quickly proceeded. "Well, it seems to me that I have something you want...namely, information. While you," he added, turning his gaze slowly to where Becca still sat with Katlin next to her, "have something I want."

Through either arrogance or utter stupidity, Orion noted that Heudros seemed to completely miss the fact that Eric's eyes had narrowed into two dark slits that barely reflected the fire any longer. "And your suggestion would be?" He asked in the same slow, drawn out tone.

"You want to know what I know about Richard, and I'll be more than willing to answer any question you have. But in return, you will give me Becca."

It took Orion all of three seconds to decide that Heudros had no respect for his life whatsoever. And he had even less interest in seeing it continue.

Eric had the man by the throat before Orion even saw him move. "I have a better idea." The Deatheater stated from between clenched teeth. "Suppose I simply start detaching parts of your body until you feel more inclined to tell us what we want to know."

"No." Katlin stepped in quickly as she got up from beside Becca. Crossing the room, she came to a stop next to Eric. "Give him to me." She slowly shifted her gaze to Eric. "I am Voldemort's top interrogator. If you want information. I'm the one who should question him." The two cold, violet eyes slid back to Heudros. "And I'll get everything anyone could possibly pull out of that tiny, twisted little brain. Unfortunately," she added with a small, predatory smile, "I doubt there'll be much left when I'm done."

Orion noted with a small, private smile, that Heudros took several slow, but well pronounced steps away from the woman next to him. Like someone trying to slowly but surely back away from a coiled snake.

Eric considered the woman next to him as he regarded everyone else, down the length of his nose. But after a few seconds, he released Heudros as though the thought of touching the man had suddenly become grossly unpleasant.

"Take him then." He stated. "Knowing your people as I do, he would hardly prove more than a few moments entertainment at best."

Katlin took Eric's place before Heudros, smiling at him with a wicked pleasure in her eyes. "Oh, it won't be nearly that quick for me." She informed the man before her. "It could take hours before he tells me what I want to know." Taking Heudros' hand in a firm grip, Katlin practically yanked him towards the door. "Come along, Mr. Barantor. The cellar is much more private...and soundproof." She added.

Heudros dug his heels in with determination as he turned back to the other three men in the room. "Wait!" He all but shouted. "We...we can come to some sort of understanding, I'm sure."

Katlin released the man's hand and he practically flew away from her to get to a safer part of the room. But Katlin made sure not to move from the doorway. A point that wasn't lost on Heudros as he quickly shifted his eyes towards the room's only escape route.

"You...you want to know about Richard." Heudros added in a breathless rush of words. "But...but there has to be something in it for me. If he finds out I had any part in this, he'll...he'll come after me. And I can't protect myself against him. I need Becca. Give her to me...for protection, and I'll tell you what I know."

"Again you are tossing our niece on the table like some bargaining chip." Eric stated with a disgusted scowl. "She is not a 'thing', Mr. Barantor. And where she goes and who with is her decision alone."

Heudros turned his gaze towards where Becca sat and met with a hard gaze.

"Not a chance." The girl answered with a scowl as deep as her uncle's.

"So, with that 'article' off the table, Mr. Barantor," Eric suggested, "suppose we offer you something else. I was thinking your 'life', worthless though it appears to be, might suffice for you."

"My...my life?"

But Orin stepped back into the conversation. "I think I have a better idea." He offered with a small smile.

Eric turned to his brother with a none-to-pleased look.

"Heudros has a point." Orin explained. "If he helps us, Richard will likely come after him. And without Becca to protect him, he really is little more than target practice for Richard. And since we put him in that position," the head of the Unspeakables added, "I think we owe him something, Eric."

The Deatheater seemed more intrigued now. "For instance?"

Orin turned back to Heudros. "If you help us, Heudros, and actually give us something we might be able to use against Richard, I will give you the means by which to protect yourself."

The man regarded the head of the Unspeakables past a critical eye. "You'll give me Becca back?"

"Eric has already firmly pointed out to you that Becca is not something to be used in bargaining, Heudros. And no, that isn't what I mean at all. I am proposing instead that should you cooperate, tell us what we want to know, and we are thereby able to defeat Richard, then I will personally see to it that your level of magic is made equal to Becca's."

Heudros' eyes widened at the offer. "Equal...equal to...you mean I'll be like you...like Richard."

Orin simply nodded in answer.

Heudros' gaze slowly shifted over to Eric. "What about him?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

"The offer isn't Eric's. It's mine. He has no say in it."

As if to validate the statement, Eric stood in silence in his usual place by the fire, not a single glimmer of feeling on the offer one way or the other reflected in his stare.

"No tricks." Heudros stated. "Just what you've offered."

"Just what I've offered." Orin agreed.

Heudros gave a small, nervous laugh. "All right." He stated. "What is it you want to know?"

"Tell us something Richard is afraid of." Orin replied in a flat tone.

"Afraid of?" Heudros asked. "Richard isn't afraid of anything. Except..." The man fell into silence as he stared at the floor in deep thought.

"Except...?" Orin prodded him.

Heudros slowly looked back up at them. "Maybe he is afraid of something." He said, pondering it out even as he spoke. "Maybe what he fears is the very thing that's driving him on this mad quest of his.

He came to this realm much as Becca did. And not having been here very long, he wasn't nearly as powerful. Certainly not as powerful as any of you. And that worried him. He constantly ranted on about how if another of his kind found him, they could force him back to your realm, something he desperately doesn't want to happen. I suppose that's what brought about this mad plan of his to try and increase his own magical power."

Orin appeared to give Heudros' words a considerable amount of thought as he stood staring at the carpet. "So," he said finally, turning his gaze back to his brother, "Richard is afraid of basically not being the biggest bully on the block."

A small smile crept across the other 'Power's' face. "I believe I can work with that." Eric replied. "And with that part of the plan settled, I think we should move on to the next."

"And that would be?" Orion asked.

The smile deepened. "We need to pay a visit to an old friend of your, Mr. Black."

Orion didn't like that smile one bit. "Which old friend?"

"Hershel Bennett."

**Q&A**

Silverfox:

**So ... does that mean you consider powers wizards?And could it be that Eric has just admitted to being less powerful than Bo? (Not that I haven't been expecting this for several chapters.)Well, as far as I'm concerned, you could do away with Hershel, if there's a good plot reason for it, but I'd really grieve for Eric. (In other words, you might have to show me a bit more of Hershel before I'll react properly.)**

No, no..., sorry..., little informational problem there on my side.

I actually had to go back and read what I put down that had you drawing that conclusion. But no, sorry. I will never consider the 'Power's' wizards based solely on the fact that you can't be the thing that uses you. And to call them wizards would be to admit they are something more than just entities. And I'm not going down that road again.

Without their bodies, the 'Power's' are nothing more than non-corporeal beings. They are sentient and they do exist, just not in our realm. Eric, Orin, and Connie were about as advanced as a 'Power' can be here. While their hosts died a very long time ago, what they essentially managed to do was separate the soul from the body, kiss it bye-bye and wish it a happy afterlife, and keep the body alive indefinitely. That, folks, is some pretty sophisticated magic.

Sorry, Dear, but in what way did he admit that?

And 'Poof!', ya' get your wish! More Hershel.

All reviews are as of 8/8/2010.

And remember;

Alarm Clock - A small device used to wake up people who have no children.


	48. Chapter 48

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: ****BUT HAVE YOU EVER ACTUALLY MET HIM?**

Of all the parts of Sirius' plan, this was the one Orion found he liked the least.

"Orin, this is not a good idea. Involving Hershel Bennett in this is not a good idea. Involving yourself with Hershel Bennett is not a good idea."

Orin seemed to give his agent little notice as they stood on the doorstep of Hershel Bennett's mansion, waiting for someone to answer the bell that still resounded through the house on the other side. "What is and is not a good idea is irrelevant here, Orion." Orin finally answered in a flat, monotone voice. "We need him. That is simply the way things are."

"But Orin, the man...the man is a Dementor. Likely the worst of any of them. He doesn't just act on instinct. He thinks. That makes him extremely dangerous."

Orin turned to his agent. "I am well aware of who and what Mr. Bennett is, Orion. The Department keeps very close tabs on him, as you well know."

Orion gave a deep sigh as he stared hard at the man next to him. "Fine. You know all there is to know about the man. You have a dossier a mile thick on him. But have you ever actually met the man, Orin?"

Just then a loud clicking could be heard from the other side of the door.

Orin turned to his agent. "I believe we are about to have the pleasure." He replied with a small smile.

Orion returned a very sour look. "There'll be no pleasure in this, believe me. And just a small tidbit I am willing to bet is not in your file - Hershel Bennett does not like your kind."

Orin frowned at the man. "My kind?"

"Yes. 'Powe...',...those from your realm."

Orin shrugged just as the door began to open. "That could actually work for us." He commented before turning to face the doorway again.

"I don't think anything is going to work for us in this situation."

"Do have more faith, Orion." Orin replied a bit firmer as the door slowly opened to reveal a tall, muscularly built man with a face composed of what seemed like nothing but sharp angles.

"And you might do well to listen to my nephew." Came the low, quiet rolling thunder of the man's voice. "He, after all, appears to have so very much insight into my existence."

"More than I'd like, that's for sure." Orion muttered as Hershel paused to look over the gathering on his doorstep. His gaze inevitably settling on Eric Matterson with something that could only be described as a sneer.

"It's bad enough you disturb me for what appears no more reason than to insult me...again." Hershel stated in a tone that made Eric's most condescending tone sound positively cheerful. "But you feel the need to bring a Deatheater to my door as well?"

It was no surprise to Orion that Hershel naturally hated the man on sight. Having been an Auror for decades, Deatheaters just weren't his favorite people. And few Aurors, old or young, didn't know Eric Matterson.

Orin stepped to the forefront of the group, all but blocking Hershel's line of sight to his brother. "If you can give us a few moments of your time, Mr. Bennett, I'm sure your find the intrusion far more intriguing than it is distasteful."

Hershel's gaze shifted off of it's previous target to the one now obstructing is view, the sneer never leaving his lips. "I somehow seriously doubt anything that an Unspeakable would bring to my doorstep would even remotely interest me, Mr. Bale. Or has the Department of Mysteries finally decided that my freedom is to much of a danger to the general population?"

There were exactly two people in the world that Orion would swear to anyone he never wanted to see get into a battle of wills.

And they were currently having one.

Orion swore his superior actually enjoyed rising to the bait as he gave the man a small but pleasant smile. "Nothing of the sort, Mr. Bennett." The head of the Unspeakables replied in as amiable a tone. A sign Orion knew surely only meant trouble.

"Had the Department of Mysteries ever made such a decision, such a mundane task as hauling you off to Azkaban would have been a job delegated out to my juniors, not myself."

Orion was absolutely sure his superior had completely lost his mind as Hershel's eyes narrowed into two black slits. As he watched, the man standing before them seem to practically dissolve into a pool of darkness so black that even the light around it seemed to disappear as the darkness stretched out. But just as quickly the silhouette reshaped itself, and recoiled back around the shape of the man it had enveloped.

But instead of the figure of a man standing in the doorway, the figure was now little more than a swirling mass of black robes, a rattling, putrid breath emanating from it as it reached out a shriveled hand and pointed a thin, bony finger at Orin.

Orion had barely had time to bring up any magical shield against the force of Hershel's Dementor powers. But no sooner had he pulled out his wand than he realized it wasn't necessary.

Without hardly seeming to have moved at all, Eric had already positioned himself in front of the group while a firm grip on his own arm held Orion in place.

Turning to the man beside him, Orion caught the warning glance that clearly told him not to interfere.

But the Dementor didn't seem to much care who he was facing.

"Go and find some of your 'juniors' then." The figure stated in a rasped, crackling voice. "I'm sure I will enjoy their company."

For several moments the Dementor stood simply staring at the group before him, as though waiting for some reaction either to his statement or to his mere presence. But after several seconds ticked by with no one moving, the man slowly cast a critical glare over each person in turn, stopping only when it's gaze came to rest on Eric.

"You!" The half-Dementor practically howled. "What have you done!"

"You can't fight what you are, Mr. Bennett." Eric calmly informed him with a small but pleased smile on his lips. "And the harder you try, the stronger I become. So please, feel free to continue. But know that you are fighting the very fire that feeds you. So I wouldn't necessarily suggest that course of action." Eric added with the same small, smug smile. "You might just get burned."

The half-Dementor seemed to simply hang in the air for several minutes, as though considering Eric's words. But from the sheer force of the vibrations in the air around them, Orion knew Hershel wasn't just thinking about Eric's words. He was testing them.

But suddenly something changed in the half-Dementor whole demeanor. He looked almost...startled. But the look quickly vanished as one of pure rage took it's place.

In a split second the transformation reversed itself , and the form of Hershel Bennett once more stood before them.

But not for long. With none of the sheer hatred in the look having diminished, the man turned his back on them and pulled back into his house, the front door literally slamming shut after him.

But simply closing the door in their faces didn't seem to be enough for Hershel. As soon a the door closed, it disappeared. As did every window down the front of the house. And Orion was sure that if they checked the back and sides, it would be the same.

Orin never moved so much as an inch from where he had been, though he now stood staring up at the smooth, solid white facade before him with what appeared to be only mild interest.

"One might take this as a negative reception." He seemed to state to no one imparticular.

"He's being difficult." Eric answered, regarding the white barrier before them much as his brother was.

"Well, I have no intention of standing here all day waiting." Orin replied with a slight snap in his tone. "Deal with it."

On cue, Eric stepped up to the wall and ran his hand over the smooth, white surface. Under where his hand passed, the hidden door reappeared. A second pass and the locks on the opposite side could be heard sliding open.

"This man is better protected than Gringotts." Was the 'Power's' only comment as the door slowly opened.

Eric entered the house first, followed closely by his brother, with Orion and Sirius entering behind them, making it over the threshold just as the door slammed shut again.

"The man likes his darkness." Orin commented as to the pitch blackness they found themselves now standing in.

Almost instantly a glowing sphere, much like a circular black light appeared, suspended several inches off of Eric's palm.

"His game is already growing tiresome." The other 'Power' replied.

Orion stepped up to the two, followed closely behind by Sirius. They may think Hershel had retreated, but he knew his uncle much too well to follow suit.

As if on cue the light in Eric's hand seemed to expand and fill the foyer they stood in. Except when Eric closed his hand over his own sphere, the other bluish light remained.

Filling the spaces around them dark robed figures began to appear, floating around the foyer and passing overhead like vultures circling prey that they were trying to sort out was dangerous or not.

And again, before Orion could even get his wand out Eric had stepped forward, surveying the creatures swirling around them with an irritated stare.

"What did I tell you, Mr. Bennett?" The Deatheater called out. "You can not fight me. And you do these poor creatures no favor to call them into your service to fight your battle."

No answer came from the warning other than the Dementors tightening their circle above them.

Eric gave a loud sigh as he turned to the floor. "Very well, Mr. Bennett." He said.

With one smooth, startling quick move, the Deatheater turned and raised his arm towards the nearest Dementor. A streak of black light shot from his fingertips, striking the creature even as the movement below seemed to attract it's attention.

There was no shirk, or cry of pain, or surprise, or anything else. The Dementor simply vanished as the black bolt hit it and then disappeared.

But the effect was not lost on the others as they seemed to stop as a single unit in their circling pattern, then suddenly scatter to the far walls of the foyer. Not leaving the area, but definitely now giving their prey a wide berth.

But Eric didn't seem to care how far they went. Picking his next target, a second streak of black light erupted from below and sought out another Dementor, who vanished much as his counterpart had.

The others barely had time to react before a third target was chosen and acted on.

"Shall I destroy them all, Mr. Bennett?" Eric called out, quickly dispersing a fourth bolt of black light towards a new target.

The remaining Dementors vanished from the foyer without any other answer to Eric's question.

Orin took over from his brother, trying a different approach. "We are not here to fight with you, Mr. Bennett." He called out. "And we have no wish to make an enemy of you. We need your help. But if you force us, we will fight. And we will win."

"Help!" Came the accusing statement, practically spat from the man's mouth as he appeared before the four. "Why should I help you? Your kind are a plague on this world. You should never be allowed in this realm. Ever! And any who assist you in coming here should be sent to Azkaban without question. For there is no law capable of adequately punishing their crime against the wizarding community. Against humanity itself!"

"We have done you no harm." Orin replied, facing the man head on. "Why attack us?"

"No harm!" Hershel all but yelled at them. "I am what I am because of your kind!"

"You are what you are by your own hand." Orion put in quickly. "When will you accept that?"

Hershel sneered at the younger wizard. "No one in their right mind would ask for this!"

Orion fixed his gaze on the other man. "I rest my case."

Orin quickly positioned himself between the two. "I am not interested in petty squabbles at the moments." He stated firmly, fixing a hard gaze on the half-Dementor. "What I am interested in at the moment is stopping an impudent child rapid approaching the potential to destroy this world, Mr. Bennett. And your precious realm along with it. You can either help us or you can start making you final preparations. I personally, do not care which. Because given the necessity to do so, my brother and I can safely escape back to our own realm and leave you and yours to your sad end.

But do make up your mind quickly. It's been a long week for me and I find myself boring easily these days."

Hershel stood before the group apparently giving the statement a good deal of serious thought. Finally he crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down his nose at them. "What is it you want?" He asked simply.

Orin answered the question first with a small smile. "There now." He stated. "You see. Was that so hard?"

The man didn't so much as move or even appear to breath aside from offering his own comment. "And that does not answer my question." He replied, his voice now taking on a droll sound. "And do be quick about it, Mr. Bale. For I also, bore easily."

"Would you care for me to liven things up for you then?" Eric asked with a small, entirely smug smile.

Against the dark look that past between the two men Orin tried to salvage something of their original purpose. "As I stated," he said pointedly, "we have found ourselves with a bit of a problem you may be uniquely able to help us with. Several months ago a man named Heudros Barantor called one of us from our realm into yours. This child, however, quickly separated himself from Mr. Barantor and is now causing a certain amount of havoc in this realm."

"A certain amount of havoc!" Orion stated from behind his superior. "This 'child' is killing people. And by your own words is putting himself in a position to possibly destroy this entire realm."

Hershel gave the whole of the group a scathing look. "And I should give this nuisance child any of my consideration because...?"

"Because you are not off of his radar, as it were, Mr. Bennett." Eric replied. The Deatheater stepped up to man, looking him over as though he were examining a picture on a wall. all the while a ghost of a smile growing across his lips. "You veritably stink of dark magic, Mr. Bennett." The 'Power' drolled out. "Now why is that, I wonder?"

Hershel didn't back down even an inch from the Deatheater. "If you know so much about me, then you know why." He replied in a calm, level, but very cold voice.

The trace of a smile on the 'Power's' lips didn't diminish in the least . "Oh, I do know why." He answered. "And like it, love it, or hate it, Mr. Bennett," Eric went on, "you smell of us. You were made by our magic. And that scent will draw this boy to you like flies to a rotting carcass. And Richard, I would wager, won't bother much with making any grand distinctions, or caring very much about your 'existence'. All he'll be interested in...is ending it. Because to him, you are a threat."

Again Hershel seemed to give the words a considerable amount of thought before answering. "I still have as yet to hear what it is you want from me."

"You're part in this," Eric replied, "is really very easy."

"Easy or not, I would prefer it to have a choice in the matter."

Eric smiled at the man before him. "There's always a choice, Mr. Bennett."

"Of course. I can do what you want, and live. Or refuse...and cease to."

"I only said you had choices, Mr. Bennett." Eric answered. "I never said you had to necessarily like them."

"So what is it exactly that is going to be so easy?"

Eric walked about the man in a wide circle as he spoke. "We need Richard momentarily distracted. That is where we need you. As a Dementor, you have the ability to tap into his worst memories. As a human, you have the ability to plan that attack and adapt it as need be. As a wizard, with our help, you can bind him until you can get hold of those memories and use them against him."

Orion watched as Eric continued his circumvention of the man, wondering if even the 'Powers' didn't want to get too close to the half-Dementor.

"A good plan." Hershel drawled out. "With one. Tiny. Little. Flaw." He added, carefully enunciating each word.

Eric stopped his pacing and turned to the man. "Flaw?" He ask in a tone of utter disbelief.

"This creature...this 'Richard'..., according to you, is little more than a child himself. You stated that he can't be but a few months old at best."

"His age has nothing to do with his abilities, Mr. Bennett." Orin spoke up. "Don't be deceived by his age."

"I care nothing about his age." Hershel snapped back at the 'Power'. "What I care about are the things associated with his age. Like his memories." Hershel turned back to the other 'Power'. "I need something to latch onto. Something to use against him. If this...creature...is no more than a few months old, he isn't going to have very many memories. And from what you've told me of the sadistic, masochistic little bastard, nothing really bothers him because he appears to have no conscience. Therefore he has no 'bad' memories."

Orin turned to Eric with a thoughtful look. "He has a point."

A small, knowing smile crept across the man's face as he gave a low chuckle. "Oh, you needn't worry about that." He stated, still facing the other wizard. "We intend to see to it he has plenty of bad memories, Mr. Bennett."

"Don't get overconfident, Eric." Orin warned.

The man gave another low chuckle. "There's no point in chastising me just because I enjoy my work, Orin." He replied. "The upstart is going to get what he deserves. You yourself said that his treatment of our poor Becca has been abysmal. And that is just one small crime on a very long list that he needs to pay for.

Aside from that, there's the matter of his simply being an irritation."

"So with that problem solved," Orin put in, "what is your answer, Mr. Bennett?"

The wizard turned to the other 'Power'. "As your brother pointed out so clearly, I wasn't aware I had one." He answered. "However, if I am to help you in this matter, I would expect some...compensation offered."

Eric frowned at the comment, but it was Orin who answered.

"I would say we were prepared to offer to rid yourself of that side of your nature which is not natural, Mr. Bennett." The 'Power' stated. "But allow me the foresight to say I see no point. You may voice your distaste for your current situation, and yet having clear access to the means by which to undo the spell, you have not taken it. So instead I would simply ask, 'What is it you want?'."

Hershel considered the question for some time. But finally he turned slowly to the two 'Powers'. "Anything?" He asked.

"If it is possible," Orin replied, "yes. Anything you want."

Hershel took a long deep breath before he continued. "Katlin Griss was bound to me through no fault of her own. Only through my own arrogance. But she has served me since, not because of my will imposed on her, but of her own free will. She has been loyal, trustworthy, and...a friend. She has been a comfort to me when no one else would so much as care."

"What is it you want?" Eric asked in a tone that voiced both his growing irritation with the other man and his boredom.

"Free her. Break our bond so that she again has complete control of her own will, free of any other influence."

Orion's head snapped up, a clear look of surprise on his face. "What?"

"I told you years ago I would give her her freedom if it was within my power to do so. Now it is. And I intend to fulfill that promise."

Orion stared at the man for several moments in silence. Hershel could do many things. But using an advantage to help someone else was not a move Orion would have expected of him. "Thank you." Was all he could finally think to say.

The man met the statement with a cold stare. "I am not doing it for you." He replied.

"Thank you just the same." Orion said.

"With that settled." Eric put in, punctuating each word as he turned to Sirius. "I believe it is time to proceed with the next step in your plan, Mr. Black."

**Q&A:**

Silverfox:

**Well, Eric said: "Despite what you may think of us, Mr. Black, we do have our limits. It was a significant draw on my own resources to be searching for Richard without actually leaving the house."**

**Orion has been working with Bo since he was 11 years old, so he should have a good idea of what he can and can't do and he's likely to expect the same abilities and limits in another Power ... at least until he experiences their individual ability level I assume that Orion wasn't expecting Eric to have no limits, he was expecting him to have the same limits as Bo.**

OK. First let me correct a commonly held assumption. Does Orion believe he has a good idea of what Bo can and can not do? Yes.

Is he right? That is practically the whole part of this story from this point on.

Actually, yes, Orion does see Orin and Eric as closely related to his boggart based on their experience and time in this realm. As does he see Becca and Richard as less of a threat, thinking them 'younger' than the rest.

Another bad assumption on his part.

Just because a 'Power' has been in this realm a shorter time than the rest, it does not make them necessarily 'younger'. A point that will be brought up in the story. The 'Power' may have only been here a short time, but that is in no way related to how old they actually are. A curious thought to look at Richard, who is always referred to as 'a child', and think he may actually be physically as old, if not older, than the others.

Now Becca you can pretty much go with 'what you see is what you get'. She's a fifteen year old girl in a thirty year old's body. No plans for suddenly turning her into anything other than what she presents. She's a little ditzy, to be sure, but when you need someone in your corner, she'd be a really good choice.

Booklover:

**I've been slowly reading through your Family series, and I love it so far! But something in this chapter has me a little confused... maybe this is explained somewhere and i missed it, but if Charly is a muggle, why does he have a wand and why is he capable of using it?**

That's a good question, Dear. And the fast, simple answer is, 'You missed that part.'.

Actually, how and why Charly is able to use a wand and do magic despite being a muggle is explained in Enemies. Basically, when Orion and Charly got out of their respective schooling and entered 'the real world', Orion gave Charly a wand, which was originally Orion's second wand. He also worked a very convoluted and 'touchy' spell taught to him by Bo that allowed Charly to draw his magic off of Orion.

So where did Orion get a second wand? Don't wizard's only recognize one wand? Bit more back-story for you, Dear.

Orion was originally sorted into Slytherin. But his father intervened, threatened the hat, and had it change him into Gryffindor. The reason this was able to be done and the hat's explanation for why it allowed it is a large part of the 'Family' story arc.

Anyhoo, Orion kept his wand from when he was sorted into Slytherin, which was his original wand, and gave Charly his second one, which his father bought him when he was re-sorted in Gryffindor.

Now, that wand, who has it, who it's owner really is, and how it connects to the story, is all very important and will be brought up in Family Ties.

But if you haven't read Enemies, Dear. I highly recommend it. It gives you a great deal of background on what is going on now.

All reviews are as of 9/5/2010.

And remember;

If it weren't for the optimist, the pessimist wouldn't know how happy he isn't.


	49. Chapter 49

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE: ****CONFRONTATION**** - PART ONE**

"Great magic! What sort of disaster is this place?"

Orion sighed quietly to himself as he cast a furtive glance at Sirius. He knew Hershel's opinion of the pile of rubble was an honest and equally accurate one for any one encountering it for the first time. But he also knew the reaction it derived from said pile of rubble's former occupant.

Right on cue Becca had apparated herself directly in front of the half-Dementor without any hesitation.

"Disaster!" She stated fiercely. "This is my home!"

The wizard regarded the enraged fledgling 'Power' with the same half sneer of disgust he did all her kind.

"Then whatever your offense, girl, it was great indeed." He drolled out at her.

The comment quickly replaced the fuming slight girl with her opposingly opposite uncle.

"If I were you, Mr. Bennett," came the equally chilled tome, "I would address this dear child with a good deal more respect, less I or my brother take offense at your having hurt her feelings."

Orion quickly inserted himself in the narrow space between the two, facing the dark 'Power'.

"I believe," He stated, "we're all suppose to be on the same team here. Inner fighting only benefits Richard. Not us."

"Orion is right." Orin put in, his calm, persuasive voice clearly carrying it's underlying authority. "If we stand here doing nothing more than fighting among ourselves we accomplish nothing more than to entertain this irritating child. We have a purpose here. I suggest we get on with it."

Becca quickly turned to face Orion. "Not my castle again!" She implored.

"No one wants to hurt your castle, Becca." He reassured her. "And I doubt this time we'd have to throw a single spell to attract Richard's attention."

"Which is precisely what we don't want to do at the moment." Eric reminded him.

Orion faced the 'Power' for a moment, then turned to the tower of dark robes hovering nearby. "Bo? How are we set for shields?"

The boggart made a few quick gestures, then fell back into silence.

"And the rest of it?" Orion prodded.

The boggart remained as he was.

Orin came to stand beside his agent. "Well?" He asked.

"He's working on that part still." He answered, turning his attention again to Sirius. "Are you sure there are still wards here?" He asked.

Sirius tilted his head slightly to where the boggart stood. "That was what Bo said. When he was teaching me wards, he said if I ever wanted to practice on any, locating them or tracing them, this was the place to come to, because it was a veritable minefield of them."

"Well, maybe someone's done a sweep recently." Orin suggested.

"Bo?" Orion prodded again.

The boggart still kept his silent position.

Orion sighed again as he turned back to the others. "There's nothing more we can do but wait." He stated. "See if he finds any."

"I can look too!" Came the enthusiastic statement that made Orion positively cringe inside even as he turned to face the fledgling 'Power'.

"Bo doesn't like interference, Becca." He answered her. "Not when he's working."

Becca gave him a look that was a clear cross between a pout and open defiance. "I'm not going to 'interfere'!" She stated in a solid tone. "I'm going to help."

"Bo doesn't like help either." Orion replied.

"Your boggart doesn't much work and play well with others, does he, Mr. Black?" Came Eric's curt retort.

Orin turned over his shoulder to the dark 'Power'. "Bo hasn't had a lot of interaction with others. Either wizards or his own kind. And he's very...territorial about things. Especially his work."

"A lot of interaction?" Eric questioned. "He's been here for centuries. What has he been doing in that time? Hiding in your cellar?"

Orion never understood the dark 'Power's' dislike for Bo, but he was finding himself growing very short on patience with it. "Bo was a symbiotic entity when he first came here." He defended the boggart. "He existed only in direct connection with his host. In addition to that, he hasn't been a boggart all that long. And between the two, it was never necessary for him to ever really have to 'talk' to anyone. As a symbiotic entity, the communication was more...telepathic. And boggart's don't talk. So he never 'interacted' much."

"He would get along splendidly in our realm then." The 'Power' answered with the smallest trace of a smile. "They aren't very social either."

Orion was about to offer his opinion of Eric's own level of social interaction with others when Orin cut him off. "There is no need for the level of social interaction they engage in here in our realm." He pointed out to his brother. "We are all part of one collective society. But while we are in this realm we have no choice but to abide by their laws of social behavior. If the other one is comfortable with his interaction with his new home and it's inhabitants, it isn't for us to say one way or the other, Eric."

Eric regarded his brother for a moment with the same look Orion thought he reserved for Bo. But when it met with an equally pointed look, the Deatheater shifted his focus.

"I doubt the boy removed all his 'traps'. That isn't his style. If anything, in his plans to attack the elder, I would think he would increase their numbers."

"Then why hasn't Bo been able to find any yet?" Becca inquired.

"The elder isn't likely to prove as easily to fool as those who have fallen for his traps so far."

"'Those' being us." Orin put in with a frown.

"Connie was not expecting what she ran into." Eric replied flatly. "She thought the boy a dolt. That was her mistake. One she paid dearly for."

Orion fully expected Orin to come to his sister's defense again. But this time the 'Power' said nothing, seeming to disregard the comment entirely.

"We still need to make sure everything is ready when we've found the proper ward. We don't know that this boy isn't already aware of what we are doing and won't simply be standing there ready for us."

"If Mr. Barantor's information is correct, we have the best weapon against him we could have. A fear that Mr. Bennett can use against him."

The comment drew a dismissive noise from the half-Dementor. "What you were given was nothing more than a starting point." He answered the looks directed at him. "We all have fears far greater than those on the surface. His fear of losing his power is related to something else. I simply need to find what that is. The deeper I am able to go, the more I can use that fear against him."

As the others talked Orion stood watching the tower of dark robes as it remained were it was, standing as motionless as a stone statue, appearing to take no notice at all of anything going on around it.

Walking over to where Sirius stood, Orion pulled him gently aside.

"Tell me something." He asked. "When you came up with this plan, what made you figure Hershel into it? To my knowledge, I've never mentioned him to you."

Sirius shook his head. "You hadn't." He replied.

"So, how did you learn about him?"

Sirius gave Orion a broad smile. "Lesson's, big brother. Lessons. Bo is very thorough in his teachings. When he started teaching me about defense spells, he coupled it with some of the dangers I might encounter and what spells were best for what opponents."

"So how did Hershel figure into that?" Orion pressed on. "He's not a natural creature and not a true Dementor. I doubt any defense spells Bo could teach your would even effect him. At least not at the level they do regular Dementors. Why even mention him to you?"

Sirius shrugged. "I suppose because he is so unique. I mean, Eric said it himself; Hershel can think and plan and adapt. So it was fortunate Bo mentioned him after all. Otherwise I wouldn't have known he was even there."

Orion returned his gaze to the motionless tower of black robes. "Yes." He replied absently. "It was very fortunate."

After several more minutes past while they waited for Bo to try and locate the right ward, Orin stepped up next to his agent.

"Out with it." He stated.

Orion turned to him. "Hmm?"

"You're still my agent." Orin replied. "And I can still read you easier than anyone else. Something has you on edge. What is it?"

But Orion shook his head. "You can't read me as well as you might like to think, Orin." He replied. "I'm not so much as edge as trying to figure something out."

The head of the Unspeakables looked about in a bored manner. "Well, currently there isn't much else happening here, so entertain me. What's on your mind?"

"That's exactly it, Orin." Orion answered. "Nothing much is happening here. Yet, as far as Richard goes, this is ground zero. No one steps foot here that he isn't aware of it."

"And that, I believe, was one of the contingencies your boggart was suppose to allow for, and block."

"And Bo isn't infallible, Orin. Richard has grown in power since Bo last faced him. There's always the possibility that no matter how good Bo's shields are, Richard can still see through them." The other man shrugged at the comment. "So we're being watched."

"But if we are, why hasn't he done anything? At least put in appearance and gone off on one of his ranting little speeches. We all know how much the boy likes the sound of his own voice."

"Maybe he doesn't like the odds this time." Came another offered opinion.

Orion and Orin turned to see Eric step up behind them.

"I don't think it's the odds." Orion replied. "I think it's the company."

The dark 'Power' frowned at the comment. "Surely you're not suggesting this child has figured out what we're up to."

Orion shook his head. "No. I just think he doesn't like the members of our group. Or more specifically," he added, gesturing with a slight nod to where the pillar of black cloth stood, "one member."

Eric's whole face folded around the sneer that formed on it. "The boggart! You're suggesting Richard is afraid of your boggart?"

"I'm suggesting he's afraid of another 'Power'. One he's met before. One he's gotten a good taste of."

Just then a slight peep grabbed Orion's attention. Turning to where the boggart stood, Orion watched him go through a short series of hand gestures, ending with a cloth covered finger pointing off to the side.

"Bo said he's found the ward." Orion translated. "Fifteen feet off to his right."

(-)

As soon as they were in Richard's house, the group followed as Becca silently directed them until they came to the double doors that marked the entry to Richard's private rooms. Pulling out his wand, Orion turned to his superior and waited for Orin to give the signal. Orin turned briefly to his brother, who gave a slight nod, which Orin in turn gave to Orion.

The force of the spell practically took the doors off the hinges, but allowed for very little dust or debris to fill the air and give Richard any cover. Something that worked both for and against the group. But they wasted no time in pushing forward even as Eric quickly disappeared from the group.

Beyond the doors Becca quickly took the lead, moving the group within seconds from the front, open area to a smaller side room that was Richard's study.

But in the study they came to a stop at the door.

Standing on the far side of the room with no more anticipation evident than if he were expecting guests, stood Richard.

"Ah! Finally." He stated. "It took you long enough. So, Mr. Bale, what new toys have you brought me this time?"

Orin met the dismissive statement with a hard stare. "None that you're going to like very much, I'm sure."

From behind Orin a spectral figure dressed in black, flowing robes emerged and took it's place in front of him, the hard, rattling breath clearly heard as it faced down it's prey.

Richard studied the creature for a moment, then gave a loud, chuckling laugh. "A Dementor? You brought a Dementor to use against me? Are you serious?" Richard addressed the Dementor with a sneer. "Pathetic creature. Do you honestly think you have any power over me?"

With a wave of his hand, a flare of light shot up. But no sooner had the spell begun than Eric appeared before it, using his own magic to dispel it before turning quickly to face the other 'Power'.

"Surprised to see me, boy?" He asked. "Good. First the Dementor gets you. Whatever is left of you after that is mine to deal with."

If Richard had any answer, he never got the chance to give it. Even as Eric disapparated, the Dementor lunge at it's distracted prey through the 'Power's' fading form.

Bringing his hand up again, Richard fired off another spell at his attacker. But even as the spell was being worked, Hershel already had his own wand out and just as quickly disrupted the spell before it got any where near him.

The whole act served exactly the purpose Sirius had said it would. For several seconds, Richard simply stood staring at the Dementor in surprise.

Precious seconds that Hershel did not waste. Directing his wand at the 'Power' he worked a quick binding spell, that even as it wrapped itself about the 'Power', he began to fight to free himself of.

But regaining his freedom would cost him more time. Time Richard no longer had and that Hershel was bound and determined to see the 'Power' never used. The half-Dementor quickly wrapped himself about his victim, each flowing shred of his robe combining with the spell to act as additional bonds to hold the 'Power' in check.

"What...what are you doing!" Richard cried out, trying to follow the Dementor's movements about him as it continued to weave itself about his body.

"We're going to play a game, you and I." A slow, rattling voice whispered in his ear, causing Richard's whole body to go still. "It is called 'What are you most afraid of', and I am very good at it."

Richard jerked his body violently once more in an attempt to free himself even as he continued to try and follow the Dementor's movements.

"What...what are you! You're no Dementor!"

The Dementor pulled about in front of it's struggling captive, the form fading and reshaping itself until the upper body again became that of Hershel Bennett. The two steel, cola black eyes focused themselves on the boy.

"Really? I think you will feel very differently on the matter by the time we are done."

For several moments Richard went completely still, his stare trapped by that of the man in front of him like a small animal caught in the stare of a snake. But slowly the bound body began to shake and only after several long minutes ticked past was Richard finally able to wretch his gaze away from that of the half-Dementor, redoubling his efforts to get loose.

"Good." Hershel hissed at him, leaning ever closer to the struggling boy. "Good. Struggle. Fight me. Run from your fear. For the harder you try, the more you show me, and the more I have to use against you."

"Leave me be!" The 'Power' cried out suddenly. "You will not defeat me! You can't!"

Hershel's body curled about the boy's until he was now behind him. Two long fingered hands faded and reshaped themselves into bone thin claws even as they slowly but firmly wrapped themselves about his shoulders as the half-Dementor leaned close to his ear again. "But I already have."

As the boy continued to struggle, Orin walked over to where his body hung suspended in the air. His arms clasped tightly behind him, he looked up at the other 'Power' with poorly disguised disgust.

"Once more I will tell you, wretched creature, give back what you stoled from me."

Richard stared down at him, panting for breath as Hershel allowed him a few moments respite. But as the words seemed to seep into his consciousness, a small smile formed across his face. One that quickly spread until the boy openly laughed at him.

"You? You think I fear you?"

Hershel pulled back in front of the boy. "Don't you?" He asked slowly. "Perhaps you should. After all, Mr. Bale has within his own power the ability to make all your worst nightmares come true."

Orion watched the boy practically recoil from the half-Dementor. For all the world he couldn't help likening the scene before him to a small mouse caught in the coils of a very large, very hungry snake.

"Perhaps," Hershel went on in the same drawn out tone, "I should share a few of your secrets, yes? Enlighten Mr. Bale to what memories I found lurking about in the darker recesses of that little mind of yours?"

Richard fixed a hard stare on the half-Dementor even as several rivulets of sweat ran down his forehead. "You know nothing!" The boy hissed back at him. "Nothing at all."

Hershel gave the 'Power' a small, tight smile. "Really? So..., you never stood trial, Richard?"

The boy went absolutely pale at the words. "You will be silent." He stated in a whisper. "You will be silent or you will pay dearly."

"Mr. Bennett?" Orin asked, watching the two.

"It would appear," Hershel replied, turning to the other 'Power's' "that your friend is not here of his own choice."

Eric's eyes narrowed as he began putting the information together.

"Trial?" He asked slowly. "What trial would this be, boy?"

As Eric talked, Richard suddenly renewed his struggles, attracting Hershel's attention back to him.

"Listen to me!" He stated in a hushed whisper at the half-Dementor. "I can do things for you, you understand? I have power. A great deal of it. I took the female's. I have his." He added, gesturing with his head towards Orin. "I can give you...anything. Anything you asked for. I can make you rich!"

Hershel regarded the boy with a bored expression.

"Power then." Richard went on. "I can give you kingdoms to rule. People will worship you. Revere you. They will call you a god."

The bored expression never left Hershel's face as Eric walked up to where the other 'Power' was held suspended in Hershel's spell.

"A trial?" He asked again. "There is only one reason we would bother coming together for such a purpose. Just what have you been up to, boy?"

"Evidently, quite a bit." Hershel answered, gesturing to Richard, who was now struggling like mad to break the bonds holding him. "Apparently he isn't just a nuisance here, but in his own realm as well. So much so that, when the opportunity presented itself, he was sent to this realm."

"Sent here?" Orin asked in a carefully drawn out tone as he thought over the implications of what Hershel had said. But slowly a deep frown etched itself across the 'Power's' features. "Sent?" He repeated, his tone growing to match his expression. "You were exiled here?"

Eric turned back to Richard, but his expression was a complete opposite to his brother's. Instead of irritation, a small smile played across the dark 'Power's' lips "Exiled to another realm." He mused. "You must have been a very naughty boy indeed, Richard."

"Naughty?" The other 'Power' spat the word at the Deatheater. "Only to the small, single mindedness of fools and idiots who limit themselves. Who hide behind a curtain and quiver in the shadows. What do I care for the laws of such a spineless group of creatures?"

"It would appear not much." Eric replied flatly.

"They are fools! Spineless, weak-willed, useless wisps of dust in the wind. They have no purpose. No vision! They would not see what I tried to tell them. What we could be. What we could become."

"Well, I for one can see all too clearly why they sent you here." Eric replied, reaching out and suddenly snatching the still struggling body directly from the grasp of Hershel's spell. "Boy, don't you ever know when to shut up?"

"Do you think I fear you, Deatheater?" Richard screamed back at him.

"I sincerely hope not. People who are afraid are boring and useless to me. And I currently have need of you." Eric added, pulling the boy about to once more face Orin. "You took something from my brother. Returning it is not a request."

"Nor is it going to happen." Richard replied, facing Orin with a small, mad smile.

Eric sighed from behind him. A few seconds later Richard's expression shifted from his maddened glee to uncertainty, to pain.

"Can you feel that boy?" Eric asked him. "That pressure around you spine? Keep me waiting much longer, and I'll increase it until I break the back of that fragile shell you are in. Host or no, if the body you are in dies while you are still in it, you are trapped there until you are helped to leave it. And based on the irritation you are being, I would say you would be there for a very, very long time."

Orin stepped up to the other 'Power' again. "Once more, boy." He stated. "Return what you stoled. Or I promise you once you are trapped in that body I will take it and bury it where it will never be found, keeping it from decay and making it your eternal prison. The choice is yours."

For several minutes Richard only stared back at the man before him, as though gauging the seriousness of the threat. But finally, with what seemed an incredible amount of effort, he gave a small nod.

Orin stepped up to him as Eric released enough of his hold to allow Richard to reach out one arm towards the man in front of him. Put a sudden snap pulled him back against Eric's body.

"No tricks, boy." He warned him in a low, level tone. "One wrong move and I will snap your spine, is that understood?"

The 'Power' nodded quickly.

Stepping up to the boy, Orin reached out and with a slight pause, finally took hold of his hand.

The second Richard had hold of the other 'Power's' hand, Orin suddenly pulled up sharply, a loud scream of pain ripped from his throat.

From behind Richard Eric's hold was suddenly broken as the Deatheater was thrown away from him, slamming into the wall behind him.

In the midst of the sudden chaos, Orion rushed forward, determined to do whatever he could to break the contact even as Orin's body jerked violently against Richard's hold on it.

But whatever he thought he could do he never got the chance.

A solid arm, stronger than he would have ever thought it could be, seized hold of him and pulled him back as Becca rushed forward herself, grabbing hold of Orin as she wrapped her own hand about the other two. A bright blue light flared up from under her palm, breaking the contact. With her other arm wrapped around Orin's shoulders, she pulled him back as they both collapsed to the floor in a heap.

With one situation dealt with, Orion quickly focused his attention back to Richard, determined to do whatever he had to to protect the two people behind him. But even as he turned to face the other 'Power', a wall of black robes rose up in front of him, completely obliterating Richard from his view.

At first Orion thought Hershel had joined the fight. But as he pulled back from the black pillar, he was surprised to see not the half-Dementor facing down the other 'Power', but Bo.

**Q&A:**

Silverfox:

**"She's a little ditzy, to be sure, but when you need someone in your corner, she'd be a really good choice."I'd still rather have Bo ... or Eric as long as I could be sure he's really in my corner.**

Well, now you see, that's the problem with Eric. You never really know with him.

As for Bo, you're only problem is you have a really big stick, but it's still essentially being swung by a three year old.

And remember;

Many of us know what it is to lose a beloved pet. Sixteen and a half years ago, after all my friends had searched (and failed) to find me a cat, I swore that apparently the only way I was ever going to get a cat was if God gave me one. A few minutes later (no lie) I heard a cat meowing in the yard.

She became 'Nermal', because my mom said it was the only 'normal' cat I ever had. (And we couldn't call a female cat 'Norm'.)

On September 24, 2010, I had the devastating task of putting my little cat to sleep. That sweet little ball of fur will never know how much joy she brought into my life. She will be greatly missed.


	50. Chapter 50

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FIFTY: ****CONFRONTATION**** - PART TWO**

If Richard had any comment to make to his new opponent, he never got the chance. Orion doubted the boy even had the time to size up his new adversary as the other 'Power' was seized by an invisible force and lifted off the floor.

Gliding across the floor, chattering a mile a minute, Bo finally stopped before the other 'Power', staring up at him with his arms folded loosely in front of him.

"Parlor tricks and basic magic!" Richard spat at the boggart. "You are pathetic! Do you hear! Release me, and I may yet allow you to live!"

Bo now stood silently before the other 'Power' for a few more moments, but then suddenly lifted a hand and drove it forward, plunging it directly into Richard's midsection.

Orion watched as the boy's body went absolutely ridged, arms and legs held out straight, and his mouth open in a silent, frozen scream.

For his part, Bo simply stood where he was, his hand moving about within Richard's midsection, as though searching for something.

After several tense, silent seconds ticked by, the boggart finally gave a small peep and withdraw his hand, leaving the other 'Power' to drop in a heap to the floor with utter disregard.

But Richard's freedom was short-lived as the dark 'Power' descended on him again, grabbing him by the neck and holding him high off the floor.

"Deceitful filth! You were warned about further treachery and you chose to ignore those warnings. Now you will pay the price."

But another small peep and a soft trill distracted Eric away from his victim as he turned to face the boggart standing behind him. For a moment Orion waited for Bo to resort to his usual form of communication, ready to translate any of the gestures. But instead the two 'Power's' simply stood silently with locked gazes. But slowly the rage in Eric's expression dissipated just slightly as he turned once more to face the boy still held tightly in his grasp.

"Your luck seems to have no end, boy." He stated in a low, tight voice. "This one seems to think you are worth more alive...and cognizant."

Richard returned a smug smile to the Deatheater. "More likely he's seeking to save you the embarrassment of any further defeat at my hands."

Eric gave the boy a deep sneer. "Insolent child, you already bore me." He stated and with a solid throw, delivered the other 'Power' directly back into the waiting arms of Hershel Bennett, who clamped around the boy's body like a springing steel trap, eager for a victim. A few, brief moments struggle was all Richard gave before once again falling prey to the Dementor's power.

Sure that Richard was once again secured, Orion turned his attention once more to Orin, who still lay unconscious in Becca's arms as a soft blue light encircled his body.

Orion met the girl's frightened eyes.

"Richard has hurt him very badly." She stated in a near panic. "This body is failing. We need to get him to Katlin as soon as possible."

But even as she spoke, Bo had placed himself in front of where the two were. Reaching out, he took hold of one of Orin's hands in his own robe covered one and held it as the others watched.

Within moments the body gave a single, abrupt jerk, followed by a sudden sharp gasp for air as Orin pulled forward in Becca's hold.

Becca quickly moved with him, continuing to support the body as best she could. "Elder? Elder!" She cried. "What is wrong? What has happened?"

Eric was already at his brother's side, also helping to support his body as he leaned forward.

"Orin? What is it? Are you all right?"

For several moments Orin simply sat motionless, leaned forward as he held a hand to his chest and taking several deep breaths. But finally, slowly, he raised his eyes to meet the hooded stare of the boggart, who stood slightly bent over, watching him intently.

"Thank you, brother." Orin said quietly.

Bo gave a slight peep, then backed up as Orin pulled himself slowly to his feet with Becca and Eric's help. But after a few moments of regaining his balance, he walked over to where Richard was once more held securely in Hershel's grip.

Standing before the other 'Power', Orin turned slowly to the Dementor. With his right hand held up, a bright, flaring white light suddenly appeared nestled in his palm.

"Mr. Bennett," Orin stated slowly, "I believe you can release Richard now."

The Dementor turned with surprising speed towards Orin, but made no move at all to release the man in it's grip.

"Mr. Bennett!" Orin stated firmly. "Release him! Now!"

The Dementor turned slowly back to it's prey for a moment. But with one last scream retched from his victim, the Dementor suddenly dissolved into a cloud of darkness that pulled away from the boy, who would have collapsed to the floor had his body not been seized by another force and delivered directly back into the waiting hand of Orin's brother.

Floating up above the floor, the cloud slowly reshaped itself into the form of Hershel Bennett.

"If you had no intention of allowing me my prey, you should not have given him to me to start with."

Eric returned the half-Dementor's dark stare. "You knew well enough from the beginning of this that we never intended for you to have Richard as your prey. You were only here to subdue him. Nothing more."

Hershel pulled back from the dark 'Power', claiming a darkened corner of the room for himself as he now seemed to simply sit back to watch the proceedings.

Orin, now seeming to have regained more of his own strength back, stood before Richard as Eric kept a firm grip on the back of the boy's neck, forcing him, with no allowance, to face his brother.

"Banished to this realm, I can not send you back." Orin stated in a clear, flat, emotionless tone. "But you must be punished for your crimes, Richard. A task, no matter how distasteful, that has fallen to Eric and me."

The boy gave a gurgling laugh under Eric's grip on his throat. "You two? You're pathetic, the pair of you. In our realm, you were nothing to me. Barely worth my notice."

Orin never let his stare move from the boy before him, nor did his expression change by one muscle. "You may be elder, Richard, but you have gained no wisdom from your age."

Orion's head snapped back to his superior. "Elder?"

But it was Eric who answered the question. "Of four of us here, Richard is the eldest in terms of how we judge age." The Deatheater said, turning to him. "You were taken in by the easiest of his deceptions, Mr. Black. As were my brother and I also, at first. Richard chose for as a body for himself that of a child in your realm. A deceptive mask to keep us off guard as to what and who we were really facing. But as our contact with him increased, Orin and I began to clearly suspect that Richard was no child. He was too strong. Nor do we suspect that Mr. Barantor actually 'called' Richard. He was too easily adjusted to this realm. We suspect instead Richard simply had been laying in wait for just such an opportunity. And connecting with Mr. Barantor's spell, simply 'stepped into the roll' as one of us having been called from our realm."

"Which brings us back to what to do with you, Richard." Orin added, his gaze remaining locked on the 'Power' before him..

"If you are wise," the other 'Power' sneered at the head of the Unspeakables, "you will release me immediately."

The comment earn the boy a solid snap of his head forward as Eric gave the body a hard jolt in his grip. "And if you are wise, you will shut up." He stated in a low, firm tone.

"You said you can't send him back." Orion commented.

Orin nodded. "That is true. To send him back would be to violate our laws. He was banished here, and here he must stay. To send him back would bring a great deal of trouble to Eric and me."

Eric pulled the boy about by his neck until he was facing him, the sneer having never left the Deatheater's face. "Kill him then."

"Don't be so hasty, Eric." Orin replied, a small smile on his lips as he watched Richard hang frozen in the Deatheater's stare.

"He was banished here, and he learned nothing from his punishment. It is the only thing left to do with him."

"But he has continued to commit crimes here, Eric." Orin answered. "Crimes he must pay for. Killing him won't serve as adequate punishment. At least not yet."

Eric turned back to his brother. "Your suggestion then?"

"I need someone else here." The small smile grew just a little.

"Who?" Came the stoic question.

"Heudros Barantor."

No sooner had Orin said the man's name than he appeared beside the head of the Unspeakables.

"Mr. Barantor," Orin stated, never once bothering to even look at the startled man standing next to him, "I believe I have a promise to fulfill to you."

**Reflections**:

Silverfox:

**Yes, but I'd still rather have Bo than Becka. He is still my favourite character, you , does the fact that Richard is exiled mean they can't get rid of him by simply sending him home?**

I'm very happy to know my boggart has a good fan base. A lot of readers from the early pages of the Family story arc seemed to like Bo.

Well, maybe if he had been just exiled. But you see, it was more than a simple exiling. It was more of a 'banishment'. Sort of a 'we don't want him either' thing.

Eric and Orin could try sending him back, but as Orin points out in this chapter, it would not go very well for either of them. Just because Orin and Eric are in this realm, doesn't mean the other 'Powers' in their own realm are unaware of them, or vice versa. But being as they are not very social creatures, they tend to pretty much ignore each other, for lack of a better term, and...again, vice versa. Unless one does something to draw the other sides attention. Like trying to send an annoying little nuisance home.

All answers are as of 10/17/2010.

And remember;

Art Theatre: That's where the theatre is clean, but the pictures are filthy.


	51. Chapter 51

A/N: As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property') are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Family Ties as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: ****CONFRONTATION - PART THREE**

Slowly working to get his bearings as he cautiously looked around, Heudros reacted almost immediately to the voice that addressed him, practically snapping to attention as he rounded about to face the head of the Unspeakables.

"Mr. Bbbbbaaaaalle!" He stammered out quickly.

"I believe you and I have unfinished business. Mr. Barantor."

"Business?" Heudros asked carefully. "What business?"

Orin directed Heudros' attention to where Richard hung suspended in the air by the binding spell.

Orion quickly looked about for Orin's brother, who stood now in one corner of the room, Richard hanging suspended well in front of him. To look at the two, one would never suspect Eric had anything to do with Richard's current circumstance. But what Orion didn't miss was the purely amused look on the dark 'Power's' face. Whatever Orin had planned, Eric clearly approved of the idea.

Richard, however, wasn't about to let an opportunity go by. As soon as Heudros caught sight of him, the boy went after who he perceived in even the smallest way to be a possible ally. If handled right.

"Master!" Richard called out. "You can not leave me like this! You can not leave me to them!"

Heudros stared at the boy for several moments before answering him with a simple question. "Why not?"

"You called me!" Richard shot back. "You owe me protection!"

Heudros walked over to where the boy was hanging in the air. "Just like you owed me loyalty, Richard?" He asked, staring up at the 'Power'.

"I gave you loyalty."

"Attacking me and trying to kill me are your idea of loyalty?" Heudros scoffed. "Based on your perception of the word, Richard, I can very well leave you to them since at this point, you are of no further use to me."

As Heudros started to turn away, Richard sensed he was losing his last chance at escape. "No use?" He practically yelled at the man's back. "Have you forgotten the very reason you called me to begin with, 'Master'? I can still do those things for you. You want power? I can make you the most powerful wizard of the age. The dark lord himself would be no match for you. You would have riches, power, admiration. Others will look on you with envy and speak your name in awe."

"Honestly, Richard." Heudros replied in a bored tone. "If you have to sing the same song, couldn't you at least change the words a little to try and disguise it better? Those are all the same promises you made to me at our first meeting. And where did they get me? Locked up in a cell waiting for you to grow tired of your games and finally finish me off."

"Those are Becca's lies!" Richard yelled back. "I was never going to kill you."

"And being locked in the cell?" Heudros asked past a raised eyebrow.

"I...I had my plans to deal with. I...I needed you secure...and safe. Out of harms way. You were my host! I could not kill you!"

The statement raised the smallest reaction from the dark 'Power' behind the boy, who simply raised a finger at the comment. "Not true." He said, then fell immediately back into silence.

"I would never have killed you." Richard reiterated. "You were my host, Heudros. You were my friend." He pleaded.

Heudros stared up at the boy for a few more moments. "You must take me for an utter fool." He finally replied. "You lied to me, you tried to steal Becca from me, you locked me in a cell, tried to kill me, and now you are back again, claiming to be my friend?" Heudros stepped up to the 'Power', sneering up at him as he did so. "You and I were never friends, boy. I was your master. You were my slave. Nothing more."

"You and I had a bargain, Heudros." Orin stated, pulling the man's attention away from the other 'Power'. "One which you fulfilled your end of. You helped us capture Richard. In return, I promised you that you would be able to protect yourself from anyone who might seek to harm you."

"What you promised," Heudros put in, "was that you would raise my level of magic to be equal to Richard's. That was what you promised."

Orin simply nodded. "That is quite true, Mr. Barantor. And I fully intend to honor that promise. Your level of magic will be exactly what Richard's is."

With a single fluid movement, Orin reached out towards where Richard still hung suspended in the air. But the body bound by the spell suddenly went ridged in its invisible bonds, the mouth opened in a piercing, silent scream.

As the body hung frozen in the sir, suddenly a small white light was pulled from it, which headed directly for Bale's open hand. But before the light made contact, the 'Power' closed his hand and directed the ball of light instead towards the man standing next to him.

If Heudros would have even had a second to think about trying to avoid the projectile, he never got the chance as it struck him in the center of the chest and disappeared.

Standing for a moment as though stunned by the act, Heudros slowly came to life again, cautiously pulling himself upright again as though testing that all the parts of his body still worked properly.

"You're perfectly fine, Mr. Barantor." Bale assured him. "You haven't been physically harmed in any way. Another part of our 'bargain'."

Heudros looked about, his gaze finally settling on Richard. "What about him?" He asked, nodding towards the now apparently unconscious body still held by the suspension spell.

"You would do well not to concern yourself with Richard's body." Was all Bale said in reply. But the implication wasn't lost on Heudros.

"His body?" He asked. "What do you mean 'his body'?"

"The body is merely a shell, Mr. Barantor. A place for us to live so that we can function in your very physical world. Richard, as any of us, is really little more than..." he added, turning to Heudros with a small smile, "...a force of magic."

Heudros positively paled at the comment. "Magic." He echoed, his expression shifting to genuine unease as he began to sort through things. "Where is Richard then? Now?"

"For us to have a body of our own is really a very unique thing." Bale continued on as though Heudros hadn't spoken. "Mostly we exist as nothing more than..." the 'Power' frowned slightly, then continued on, "...parasites, I suppose is the right word."

"Speak of yourself." Came the dark comment from the corner of the room.

Bale barely acknowledged his brother's statement before continuing. "We exist through our hosts." Bale added. "Living within them and enhancing their magical abilities."

Heudros didn't need to hear anymore. "You...you put that maniac in me?"

"You were his host." Eric answered from his corner of the room. "You were the most logical choice of what to do with him. Put him where he was always meant to be and solve everyone's problem."

"What about my problem? That lunatic is inside of me now! He'll kill me!"

"He'll do no such thing if he's wise." Bale replied.

With a sudden grab, Bale grabbed Heudros by the throat and pulled him up to him until the man was only inches from his own face. "Now you listen to me, Richard and you listen well." Bale stated. "I have done you far more mercy than you ever deserved. You are where you were always meant to be in this realm. Living within your host's body. And you will stay there until I or Eric see fit to release you. Though I would not be looking for that day any time soon. And should you think to free yourself," Bale added with a sneer that just bordered on being a smile as he pointed to where the body still hung in the air before Eric, "know that any harm, any thing at all, even the smallest ailment unleashed upon this body, will result in your immediate return to that body. And where it will be will be of my choosing. And you will remain there until this realm is no more. Do you understand?"

For several seconds the body in Bale's grasp simply stood still, two eyes fixed on his. But abruptly the body gave a sudden shudder and threw itself free of the 'Power's' hold.

"He's thrilled." Eric stated.

On the floor Heudros was struggling to regain his feet. "What...what about me?" He stated in a near panicked voice. "You've locked that lunatic inside of me. He'll live out his misery inflicting it on me."

Bale met the man's tirade with an almost bored expression. "Were you paying any attention at all, Mr. Barantor?" The 'Power' asked. "Richard can't seriously hurt you. If he does he will be forced back to his old body. And I can promise him most assuredly, he does not want that to happen. He will behave, I am quite sure."

"Suppose he decides to just kill me?"

"Same result." Bale answered flatly.

"What about my power?" Heudros asked sharply, pointing a finger at the 'Power'. "You promised to enhance my magic."

"I promised you you would be as powerful as Richard, Mr. Barantor. And I kept that promise. As Richard's host, all of his power is now at your disposal."

Heudros studied the man in front of him for a few seconds, then pulled out his wand. Pointing it at the opposite wall, Heudros let loose a spell that flew out of his wand's tip with such force it nearly knocked the wizard off his feet.

Striking the wall, the spell erupted into a massive explosion that left very little of the entire wall once the dust settled.

"Satisfied?" Bale asked in the same bored tone.

Heudros stood staring at the remains of the wall with a stunned expression. But finally he turned back to the head of the Unspeakables, giving him a slight nod.

"Tell him all of it." Came a sudden voice from the side of the room.

Bale turned to face his agent. "All of it?" He asked innocently.

Orion stepped up to the 'Power'. "You know very well what I'm talking about." He stated. "Tell him all of it."

"What else?" Heudros asked, his stare fixed once more on the 'Power' before him.

Bale seemed to consider his answer carefully before he spoke. "It's a very small matter really." He finally replied. "Normally wizards and witches in your realm tap into only a very small fraction of the power in ours. Basically, they really only use what they can handle. It accounts for why some magic users are stronger than others. It's all based on how much of the power in our realm someone in this one can control."

"What has this got to do with what Black is talking about?"

"The force of magic within you, Mr. Barantor, is pure magic. No bars. No limits. You can tap into it, 'use it', as it were, but the question then becomes...do you control it, or does it control you?"

"You said Richard couldn't hurt me."

"True enough. But our experience has been that those of us who come to this realm and are forced to seek a host to exist here, do not have exactly the most ideal of circumstances."

"Get to the point." Orion stated.

Bale turned to the man next to him for a moment, then turned to face Heudros again. "It has been known to happen that those of your kind who tap into that magical force, very often can not handle the strain of it. In the end they end up either nothing short of comatose...or utterly insane."

Heudros stood for nearly a full minute simply staring back at the man in front of him.

"You are telling me...," he finally stated slowly, "that you have trapped that lunatic inside of me, given me his power, and if I use it, I'll go insane?"

"That would be the general idea, yes."

Orion barely caught the man as he lunged at the 'Power', with Heudros still managing to grab hold of Bale's shirt.

"You filthy, lying, despicable bastard!" Heudros yelled, his knuckles going white as he gripped Bale's collar. "You tricked me! You lied to me! You lied!"

Wondering how he was going to get Heudros off of his superior, Orion stopped trying as the man he was holding on to suddenly stopped struggling against his hold. Heudros' face contorted from anger to surprise as his gaze remained fixed on the man in front of him. But as Orion watched, slowly each finger of Heudros' hands began to pull back, slowly releasing their grip on the 'Power'.

For Bale's part, his expression and over all demeanor never changed.

"You can let go on your own, and we can discuss this." He stated calmly. "Or I can break every one of your fingers. Your choice."

Orion never relaxed his own hold until he felt Heudros slowly letting go of Bale's shirt.

"A very wise decision, Mr. Barantor." The 'Power' stated. "Now, let's discuss you, shall we? You are hardly blameless here. And for the crimes you have committed, you could easily have found yourself in Azkaban, a great deal worse off than you are now.

As things stand, you are still free, and you are likely to remain that way should you agree to a few stipulations."

Still panting to catch his breath, Heudros kept a murderous stare on the 'Power' before him. "Stipulations?" He asked. "What other tricks do you have to play on me?"

"No tricks, Mr. Barantor. Simple facts. As I said, you are far from blameless and have a great many crimes to answer for. However, as Richard's host, and having seen how manipulative he can be, as well as deviously clever, I do not feel that having you out of my sight is a good idea. It is unlikely Richard would let such an opportunity go to waste to 'test his limits', as it were."

"Test his limits?" Heudros asked, the panic creeping into his voice again. "In what way?"

"That's hard to say. As I stated, Richard is devious. And I wouldn't expect him to take his punishment quietly. I have no doubt in the future he will, from time to time, check the validity of my words. Or try to find some loophole in his imprisonment."

"And what will this mean for me?"

"Momentary discomfort if you're lucky."

"And if I'm not?"

"More discomfort for a longer time period."

Heudros gave a deep sigh as he crossed his arms in front of him. "All right. What are my options then?"

Bale seemed to consider the question for a few moments before turning to the man again with a pleasant smile. "As things would have it, Mr. Barantor, you are in luck. For as it is, I find myself in need of a clerk."

The murderous look returned almost immediately. "A clerk! You expect me to work as your clerk?"

Bale said nothing in reply, but only stood staring at the man.

"I was one of the most powerful wizard's of this decade! Even the dark lord himself feared me!"

"You irritated him. He never feared you." Orion put in.

"And you now expect me to lower myself to being your 'clerk'?"

Bale gave the man a small smile. "Suppose I loosen Richard's bonds a little, Mr. Barantor? Give him a taste of possible freedom?"

Heudros watched for some gesture from the 'Power', but nothing happened. But unexpectedly his whole body suddenly convulsed and threw itself to the side, slamming into a chair before convulsing again and collapsing to the floor, where it flailed around as though in the grip of a strong seizure.

"Enough!" Bale suddenly shouted.

Almost instantly the body ceased its erratic movement and lay quietly on the floor.

"That was just a very small taste of Richard's reaction should I loosen my hold on him even a little, Mr. Barantor. A very...small...taste."

Heudros was slowly pulling himself back to his feet. "You said he couldn't hurt me."

"He can't kill you. Or cause you serious harm. But he can make things unpleasant for you, as you have seen. But as long as he knows I'm close by, I believe he'll behave."

Heudros stood up and faced the 'Power'. "Your clerk?" He said.

Bale nodded.

"At a good pay grade, I'd expect?"

Bale nodded again.

"And how are you going to watch over Richard when I'm not working?"

The small smile returned. "I think you'll find your new living accommodations quite agreeable."

"Living accommodations?"

"You'll be living at my house from now on, Mr. Barantor. I'll need to be in close proximity to you at all times. You are not to go anywhere or do anything that I am not apprised of."

Heudros swallowed hard before going on. "For how long?"

Bale's expression fell as flat as his tone. "How old are you?"

The explanation wasn't lost on Heudros as he let out a loud sigh and turned to the ceiling. "This is for the rest of my life then."

"You're alive, Mr. Barantor." Bale stated. "And you are fairly free. Certainly more than you deserve. Should you feel the situation is not to your liking, I can change it at any time for you. Now, do you agree to the terms or not?"

Heudros gave another loud sigh as he turned once more to face the 'Power'. "My choices are as limited as my freedom."

"But they are still choices." Bale relied. "Kindly make one."

Heudros stood for a very long time simply staring at the 'Power' before him. But finally he nodded. "All right. Your clerk then. At least it's a job I know how to do."

Bale favored the man with another small smile. "An excellent choice, Mr. Barantor. I'm sure you'll find things not nearly as unpleasant as you first think."

"Don't bet on it. I have a very active imagination."

"And a very negative attitude." Bale sighed. Turning to Eric he gestured towards where Richard's body still hung suspended in the air. "You'll deal with this?" He asked.

The dark 'Power' nodded and immediately disappeared, taking Richard's body with him.

**Q&A**

Silverfox:

**"Of four of us here, Richard is the eldest in terms of how we judge age."Well five Powers here, Becka's the youngest, Orin calls Richard elder ... I guess Bo's not going to explain, eh?**

Actually, Orin very carefully only included four of them. Becca, Richard, Eric, and himself. He purposely left Bo out. And for good reason. He has no idea how old Bo is either in this realm or in theirs. And having seen him 'in action', so to speak, he's starting to question just how powerful the boggart may be.

All reviews are as of 10/31/2010.

And remember;

A very happy Halloween to all my readers.


End file.
